Fool's Gambit
by Catsitta
Summary: Who says change happens slowly? Dystopia AU. LxFem!Light (Genderbend for a reason!) 30 day challenge. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **+peers in+ Hullo. I'm new to the Death Note fandom but not to fanfiction. I'm doing this fic as a bit of a 30 day challenge. My story 'Delivery' was one such personal challenge. Why am I doing this? To kick my butt back into gear. The semester is almost over, and I need to de-stress, but I don't want to put my jumbled ramblings for my other fics out right now 'cause my thoughts are all over. But I want to make myself write every day. What does that mean? Well. Daily updates! And varying chapter length. Not quite a drabble set, because each chapter will lead into another, and there is an over arching plot and an end goal. Woo. So, for any of my readers who might be here from my other fics...um, sorry that this isn't an update? Heh. Inspiration hit and I couldn't resist.

**So, quicky info for those who want it:**

**Light** is a girl for plot reasons. **She** looks as Light does in the anime. Themes like the Death Note, Kira, L and such remain, but this is an AU where I take the story into a dystopian future world where Japan and a great deal of the world are under the control of a highly corrupt and war mongering Oligarchy (a system of government where rule is by a few individuals).

**Summary: **Who says change happens slowly? Dystopia AU. LxLight genderswitch.

**Fool's Gambit**

**By Catsitta**

1.

"Light, is that you?"

Sachiko Yagami turned as she heard the front door open, her brows pinched with worry, hands clinging tightly to a faded washcloth. Light sighed and quietly shut the door. She was becoming too used to seeing the anxiety on her mother's face. With every day that passed, it was like a little piece of the woman faded away, leaving behind this ghost that haunted this place mockingly called home.

In a low voice, Light offered a polite greeting-dropping the book bag from her shoulder to the floor, neatly stepping out of polished shoes and pulling off the brown blazer that she wore nearly everywhere these days.

Looking up, she noticed her mother staring intently at her chest, gaze fixated at the row of black buttons trailing from the edge of pressed slacks up to the skin of her throat.

"Light...your bindings," Sachiko murmured.

Grimacing, the eighteen-year-old shrugged the blazer back on, lips pressed into a thin line. There was little Light could do about her "condition". It wasn't her fault she was born a girl in this fucked up world. It wasn't her idea to masquerade as a boy. No. That was daddy dearest's idea before the old man kicked the bucket. He was an enforcer, a law man, and when the justice system reared its corrupt head, Soichiro placed the responsibility for his family's future safety on four-year-old Light.

A heavily pregnant Sachiko ran into hiding, slipped into the shadows, just some insignificant woman in this "perfect" world, a confused daughter in tow. From that day on, Light was groomed to be the perfect son, the man of the house, the protector and provider. Because if he didn't, then they would all suffer for it, especially little Sayu. With her little boy not only enrolled in school, but a certified genius according to the mandated testing, the government provided for the Yagami family needs. Girls were not allowed a formal education after age twelve, so what use would it be to fund a family of a female prodigy?

So here she was, the beautiful, model son who was mere days away from graduating high school and would soon start on a career path in criminal law at To-Oh university.

And yet the taste was of ashes in her mouth.

"I will tie them tighter tomorrow," Light said as she traversed the pitiful excuse of a main room to reach the stairs. Bedrooms were always on the second floor. It was practically law these days. One would think the government would have better things to stick their noses in than the structure of apartment interiors, such as how to deal with floundering economy or the skyrocketing crime rates, but no...Bedrooms were more important. "I'll be in my room, studying."

Sachiko nodded and watched as her eldest child ascended the narrow steps, delicate hands skimming the wooden banister, as if every crack and scuff were words left in braille. Light was beautiful, with charm enough to ensnare any heart. But around her was a subtle darkness, a looming haze of shadows that lurked behind tawny eyes. Had things been different, perhaps if Japan were still a nation and not a part of the Oligarchy...if Light were actually a boy...if Soichiro had lived...maybe the foreboding aura lurking around her daughter would never have existed.

As she listened to the floorboards creek above, she wondered if all the lies were worth it. Light was so serious, distant...prideful. A selfish part of Sachiko missed the little girl in pigtails who saw the world in her father's eyes. In her place was a son. A perfect son.

Tears bit at the corners of her eyes.

Sayu would be home from the store soon. There was no time to cry.

As Sachiko gathered her wits and returned to washing dishes, Light slumped at the edge of her bed, her white shirt abandoned on the floor. Had anyone walked in at that moment, they'd be surprised by the uncharacteristic chaos of the teen's habitually pristine room...and what she pulled from beneath her chest bindings. It was a slim notebook, black and unadorned save for the stark white letters scrawled on the cover.

"Death Note..."

**-tbc-**

**A/N: (Thank you for reading, please review! Commentary is loved. Ideas are wonderful cookies. See y'all tomorrow. )**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:**

No reviews? I have a couple fave and watches so I know peeps are reading. C'mon, throw an author a bone here. Whether you like, love, hate it or could do without it, drop me a line. Helps me keep on track and know how I'm doing.

With that said, onto the next chapter.

**Fool's Gambit**

**by Catsitta**

2.

"Broooooother! Diiiiinner!"

Light paused, shaking her head before proceeding to do up the last of the buttons. It was slightly harder to breathe now, the broad, stiff bandages compressing her chest into a smooth line. She'd made certain to tie them tighter than ever before. She dared a glance at her desk, where the Death Note now resided within a false bottom created out of paranoia months ago to keep family documents secure. Should anyone attempt to open it improperly, it would cause an explosion big enough to wipe this corner of the apartment clean off.

Her hands trembled, causing Light to fumble with the final button. The notebook was easily somebody's idea of a prank...perhaps even a test for terrorism by the Oligarchy. But it was so tempting to hope, to dream, that the rules were real, that simply by writing down a name with a person's face in mind, the person would die. Just 40 seconds later.

_I could change the world._

She could become the savior of the people, the destroyer of corruption, a god among men!

Just a face and a name and a little black notebook.

It was a fool's gambit, to be certain, and a logical person like Light never gambled in hopeful halves with dice made of wishful thinking. Yet this Death Note...it was a mistake she was willing to make if only to say she tried...Funny, she never played stakes she couldn't win. Not until now.

"Liiiiiight! I'm hungry. Huuuuurry up!"

Standing, Light glanced in the mirror that rested opposite of her bed and gave her reflection a cursory once over. Not a hair ever out of place. Briefly she pondered the auburn tone of short trimmed locks and the gold ring that danced within tawny eyes. This straight nose belonged to her father, and these high cheekbones to her mother, but the hair and eyes belonged to neither. Genetics were a funny thing sometimes. Perhaps it was best that she played the role a boy. These strong features would never make for a lovely woman as they did a man. Sayu was so much softer, rounder, with pin straight ebon hair and eyes like burnished silver-she was considered pretty in a plain way, like a primrose in a field of daisies and dandelions.

Breaking away from the reflection that lied to her every morning, Light descended into the kitchen. Her family stood around the small table set for three, waiting as was proper for the man of the house to take his seat. Light fought back a black scowl and pulled out her chair.

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

The frantic rap of knuckles against the front door elicited a groan from Light. She knew that knock. Silently, she crossed the room and politely opened the door. Standing there, grinning like the idiot he was and always would be, was Matsuda.

"We weren't expecting you this evening," Light said, hiding the disdain she felt behind strained civility. "Are you here for personal matters or business?"

Dark eyes blinked widely and Matsuda's expression became sheepish, like a shy puppy. He wrung his hands together in explicit anxiousness, but the smile never left his face. Obviously, the young enforcer was here on his own time.

"I...I'm here to call on Sayu," he said shyly, cheeks flushed in an innocent way that did not befit his 23 years. Light masked her disgust. She really hated this world. It truly was rotten. Sayu was fourteen and as such, finished with her education and of marriageable age. Rarely did girls wed this young, but even the thought of her little sister in the claws one of the government's lackeys made her cringe. The age difference was bad enough, but a law man was not what she wanted for her sweet little sister. But there was nothing Light could do. If Matsuda wished to court Sayu, then unless someone of equal or higher status within the government came along and offer suit, Light had to hold her tongue.

It wouldn't do to turn away the attentions of someone so _morally stellar and respectable_. Not unless Light wanted her family at the center of some unwanted attention, and Sayu's reputation turned to dirt. At least Matsuda was relatively harmless as enforcers come. He was oblivious and a fool. Light doubted the man would purposefully harm a single hair on Sayu's head. Thus she stepped aside and motioned for Matsuda to enter.

"We were about to eat," Light said. "Please, join us."

"Thanks Light! I am awful hungry after a day on the job."

Offering a false smile, Light shut the door and followed the young enforcer to the table. She made a plate for their guest and sat down after Matsuda settled next to Sayu's seat. He was flushed a rosy hue and stared in a lovesick manner at his potential, future bride. Sayu, thinking that courtship to a respectable government official was ideal, especially in her position, smiled back. Pink rose to her cheeks as she silently ate her dinner, the flawless feminine figure, a harsh contrast to her loud, bubbly nature.

Appetite gone, squelched by the day's unsavory events, Light used her chopsticks to push around the noodles instead of bringing them to her lips. She could feel her knuckles whiten, teeth clamped together tight. Ignorant, foolish Matsuda was the only one speaking, oblivious as always to Light's tightly chained anger and Sachiko's wary stare.

When the hour became late, and the dishes were cleared away, Light wished only to sneak upstairs and collapse into the sheets. Instead, she stood at the edge of the room, observing as Sayu served Matsuda tea and they talked between them about idle, unimportant things.

Beyond caring about manners, Light cleared her throat, drawing the attention of the pair.

"Sayu, it's time for you to go to bed."

"But Light," Sayu whined, catching herself with a wince. "I'm not tired."

"Bed, Sayu," Light ordered with a sharp point at the stairs. Her little sister glared at Light, before offering sweet goodbyes and scurrying upstairs like a good mouse. Light zeroed in on Matsuda, who was staring longingly at the darkened stairway. "I believe it's time you state your intentions."

Matsuda jumped a little at the dark tone. He wasn't used to the quiet teen growling at him.

"I told you before, my intentions are honorable. After the Red Light serial murder case, that I still can't believe you solved all by yourself Light, it was amazing...I, when I met your sister, I just couldn't believe what...I..."

"You are rambling, Officer."

"O-oh, right. Sorry. I just, when I met Sayu, I fell in love. Just like in the story books. I know she's young, b-but I can wait. I know in four years, I will still love her, same as I do now. Please, sir, let me continue seeing her."

It was pathetic, but once again, Light was in no situation to fight. There was no logical reason for her to turn Matsuda away, no matter how much it pained her comply.

"If you dishonor her, I will kill you," Light said, and Matsuda paled at the threat. But a grin crept onto his lips and he nodded vigorously.

"Thank you! You won't regret it-"

He was cut off by his phone ringing. Matsuda clumsily patted his uniform until he found the cellular device in his pants pocket of all the places, and snapped it to his ear. Idiot didn't even think of hiding what was presumably a work related call from a civilian. Despite the cases she helped solve over the years, a vain attempt to righting the wrongs in this horrible world as well a blatant mockery of the inadequacy of the law enforcement, she was not supposed to know about "crime". In this perfect world, crime didn't exist according to the Oligarchy. Civilians were supposed to pretend that they didn't live in fear of getting mugged, raped or killed every time they left the house.

"W-what? Another body? Not good...Yeah, I'll be there in ten minutes. Yeah. Bye chief." He ended the call and sighed. "I really wish you were out of school, Light. Then you could help out the police officially! You're so smart, I'd bet you'd figure out who this serial killer is in like, a day. But I have to go before the chief wonders where I am. Goodbye."

In a blink, Matsuda was out the door. Of course the idiot left his briefcase behind. He always did. He'd be at the station before he realized that the thing was missing...

Light felt her breath catch in her throat as she stared at the leather case sitting so innocently next to her backpack.

With a Death Note and a briefcase full of police files, Light held the makings for a loaded gun. But could she pull the trigger?

Half an hour later, Matsuda was at the door, apologizing profusely and Light handed him the briefcase with a smile...one that was not strained with disdain, but edged like a razor.

Some say change happens slowly.

40 seconds. A face and a name. A little black book.

"Travel safely, Officer," Light said.

The door shut with a soft click.

It was time for this rotten world to be cleansed.

**A/N: (Thank you for reading! Please review. Even an "I like" or "I dislike" is valuable feedback. ^_^ )**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Shout out to CookieMonster7265, who reviewed last chapter. ^_^ Thank you very much for your kind support.

**Fool's Gambit**

**By Catsitta**

3.

_"What's happening?"_

Light chuckled manically as a woman's shriek broke through the radio static. The broadcaster for the propaganda spewed on every station was not the first name written in the little black book. He was simply the first to die within the public's eye. Her hand shook as she stared down at ink slain pages, over a hundred names staring back. At the top were three members of the Oligarchy. Criminals the lot of them for what they did to the world. She would have written down all eight, but the others did not show their faces or broadcast their names. True, she knew the last names of at least two of the men, but it was not enough.

The pen creaked under the strain of her vice grip. She'd kill them all. Each and every one of them. Even if she had to flush them out like the rats they are. For now, however, she settled for scribbling down the names of documented criminals whose profiles she memorized from Matsuda's case. Light even tossed in some crooks from the cases she helped solve for the enforcers, since the death penalty was often turned on the innocent these days instead of the guilty.

But with the death of the announcer, a man whose voice was in every radio, whose was on every TV screen, who was the public's attention every hour of every day, Light knew for certain that the Death Note was real. Every name she wrote down with the intended victim's face in her mind, was dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead as a doornail. Never gonna get any deader. Point blank, pull the trigger, here Light held the smoking gun.

SNAP!

Light froze. Her pen was broken, cracked in half and dribbling ink all over her hand. A wide grin accompanied her manic chuckle, which turned into a wild laugh that she barely smothered behind a sleeve. Tears streamed from her eyes as she struggled for air, her laughter practically a spastic fit. Oh, the insanity! Laughter quickly turned to short gasps and unrestrained sobs. Light didn't know why she was crying. Was it fear? Was it guilt? Or was it pure relief?

In less than 24 hours, she'd gone from resigned to living in a country rotten to its core, helpless against the system that sought to destroy all free will, to now holding the power to sweep all the corruption clean. Power like this came at a cost, but Light didn't care. She'd bring the government crashing down to its knees, a judge and executioner that sought to right the injustice.

They would all pay.

"Liiiight! Mom says you're going to be late to school if you don't hurry your butt down here. Mr. Perfect doesn't want to be late to his exams, does he?"

The exams. That's right. Today were the exit exams. Scoring well guaranteed work and further education. Not that Light would need either as god of the new world, but until she could topple the last of the blasted Oligarchy, mandated testing was important. So like a good little student, Light washed her hands of the ink, hid away the Death Note and descended the stairs.

On the way out the door, she grabbed an apple.

.

Elsewhere, in a room with bare concrete walls and a haphazard stack of top of the line electronics, sat scraggly man, black eyes staring vacantly at the screen in front of him. One thumb was shoved into the corner of his mouth, teeth clenched around the joint. He was curled in on himself, knees tucked to his chest, bare toes contorting now and then. Beside him sat a polished silver tray with a cup of cooling tea that was more sugar cubes than tea at this point.

"Over 100 reported heart attacks in the last 12 hours," he murmured. "All confined to the region formerly known as Japan." If that were not suspicious enough, three of the Oligarchy leaders died within seconds of each other of said heart attacks. This was not some haphazard coincidence. This was murder. But how?

A door opened and closed. He never stopped staring at the screen, eyes fixated on the faces of the dead. Most were criminals, perpetuators of some violent crime or another. Intermixed were government officials and representatives, all of whom were often in the public eye attempting to perpetuate the notion that they lived in a perfect world.

Which they didn't. The system was flawed. However...

"Your services have been requested."

He looked over his shoulder at the man that entered his room. The only person who knew his true identity and acted as an envoy since showing his face would make him an easy target for those who would think to seek revenge.

"Whose?" He had multiple alias's, each serving a slight different purpose. Depending on which alias was asked after, his approach to matters changed.

"L," said Watari in a grim voice. "You can guess what they wish done."

He laughed bitterly, "Yes. I can quite imagine what they want. Very well, book me the next flight to Japan." Watari did not correct L. The genius could call the heart of the Oligarchy whatever he wanted. Suddenly, L's demeanor changed, and in a small, child-like voice he added, "Oh, and could you bring me some cake, the kind with the strawberries?"

The old man bowed politely and left the room, leaving the scraggly man alone once more.

L's lips tightened into a thin line.

He was trained from a young age to be a master investigator, he was one of many in the special private facility known as Whammy's House and the only one who did not break. The program changed shortly after his becoming L, due to the number of deaths in relation to the training. Out of boredom, he put his genius and specialized skills to use, becoming the top three detectives in the world by the age of twenty. He'd assumed other titles, taken other roles, but those were the three he was best known for and no one was the wiser that they were one person. After all, they were quite different and L was the best of them all. The best and the most dangerous. Known for solving any case, no matter how impossible and bringing the guilty party to justice...

...one way or another.

He did not care of the Oligarchy and would have happily led a revolution against them-but this killer, because he knew that there was a face behind all these deaths, needed to be stopped.

Slowly, L stood, the bright glow of the computer screen drenching his upturned face in shadows.

tbc

**A/N: (Introducing, ambiguous L. Things should speed up from here. Anywho, please review, rate and comment, any feedback is loved. Love it, hate it, could live without it? Then leave a comment. See you all tomorrow! I'm also thinking about making a cover for this...But my final projects are gettin' heavy. It'll all be done wednesday, thank goodness. Toodles!)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Since I got too frustrated to keep staring at my computer yesterday, I sat down and sketched out a cover image for this story than ran it through photoshop later. So this fic now has a cover. ^_^ Anywho, shout out to Murderous Phantom, somethingblue, and LadyTeldra! Thank you for reviewing. Now, onto the story.

**Fool's Gambit**

**By Catsitta**

4.

"Good luck, make me proud!"

It was just another test. An entrance exam instead of an exit this time around. She was already accepted into the university and the odds of her failing this one was quite unlikely. Light grabbed an apple on her way through the door, silent in the wake of her family's cheers. Neither of them knew that she was on a divine quest, that these tests would be obsolete once she arose from the shackles of oppression and brought forth a new age. Trimmed nails bit into the dainty skin of the fruit as she fought back the urge to grin. Light was a serious, stoic son. He did not laugh, or smile or jest.

Right now, that was the role she needed to play.

A few blocks later, a voice floated by her ear.

_"So you gonna give me that apple or leave me hanging, Light?"_

_Consciously_ aware of the exact locations of the city cameras, Light stepped casually into a blind spot, her body hid between a wall and its heavy shadow. She pretended to check her watch, gaze sliding beneath hooded lids. They were alone. Lifting the apple aloft, testing its weight with a negligent bob of the wrist, Light watched as a monstrous creature materialized from above. It was huge and heavy, limbs thin and exaggerated, with distorted human features and bulging eyes. From its back protruded fragile black wings that somehow kept it aloft. Eagerly, with teeth like that of a sharks, it devoured the apple from Light's palm.

A week prior, Ryuuk descended from the Shinigami realm in search of the notebook he dropped for his amusement. When he found Light, death god and human found common ground. He was bored. Light wanted change. And if the world burned around them, then they would happily stand amongst the smoldering ashes, alive and conquering.

Ryuuk explained the rules of the Death Note in more detail when he arrived, even offered to gift Light the ability to see the names of his enemies for the cost half her lifespan.

Her refusal made the creature laugh wildly.

She amused him. He annoyed her. But they were unstoppable together.

"Eat the core," Light said, tossing the last remnants of the apple into the air. Ryuuk gulped it down and wiped his mouth with the back of a skeletal palm.

"So what'cha up to today?"

"Entrance exam to the most prestigious universities in the country," Light adjusted her backpack. "Nothing difficult. Though you will have to entertain yourself for the next few hours. I do not need you hovering above my shoulder while I concentrate."

The shinigami cackled before soaring skywards. Light would have her peace, for now. The bothersome creature would return and lurk at her shoulder soon enough. Taking a brief moment to swipe a few strands of hair behind her ear, Light returned to her journey, stepping into the street. All around were people, each hurrying quickly to their destination, heads bowed, eyes adverted. No one milled around in lazy crowds, laughing and discussing. This was a population living in fear. Living in defeat.

She could hear the faint buzz of propaganda filtering through the speakers hidden away from sight. Black uniformed enforcers stood at every street corner, stark sentinels of doom. Wearing tinted visors and holding sleek guns, they were fearsome in their singularity. Passing beneath a cherry blossom tree, Light took a moment to simply observe. There was a mother ushering two small children into a shop, her hair tied up into a severe knot, all her skin, save for that on her face, covered in an oversized duster. Two businessmen walked in identical strides, suits pressed to standard, the dark circles heavy beneath their eyes betraying the falsehood behind their forced smiles.

The flutter of bird wings brought Light's attention up.

Thin clouds lazily drifted across a watercolor sky, sunlight filtering weakly through the hazy swirls. A black V scuttled across the vast blue, hurried in their flight. Light frowned sadly. There were days in her youth where she wished she was a bird. Then she could fly away, unnoticed.

"KIRA IS JUSTICE! DOWN WITH THE OLIGARCHY!"

She inhaled sharply, brows slanting down with confusion. It was a single individual, an old man. He was a frail looking sort, hunched and white-bearded. Perhaps he was alive to know a world before the corruption, when Japan was free and proud. Light's hand clenched tight as she watched an enforcer turn, noticing the commotion.

Suddenly, chaos broke out in the stagnant street.

The enforcer took a step towards the old man, and suddenly, the people who were scampering away, stopped to turn, to watch. He was a few feet from the elder, and then, someone threw a rock. It struck with a CLANG off the enforcer's helmet. He jerked in the direction of the assault.

A boy, no more than four, with the look of a street urchin about him, bent to pick up another stone and gave it a willful toss, the focus of every eye. The enforcer sidestepped the rock. CLANG! This time, it was a soda can. A pair of teenagers stood defiantly by the old man, faces full of fire.

There was the thunder of feet and within seconds, what was a protest of a single man was the uproar of a community. No less than twenty people clustered together and began to shout praises for Kira.

Kira. Derived from the english word killer, it was what the people called the one who brought them justice. It was what they called Light.

"I assume you support Kira?"

Light jerked her head in the direction of a low, monotone voice. Perched oddly on a nearby bench was the strangest man she had ever seen-with skin the color of sheetrock, dead black eyes and hair that looked like he'd stuck a fork in a socket. He was dressed in a baggy white shirt and oversized jeans, and...was he barefoot? He was clean, but bedraggled, like he simply left the house after waking up without thought to a change of clothes or a comb. That is, if he had slept in the past week.

"W-what?" Dazed by the situation, Light took a second to recover her wits. "Of course not, to support a murderer like Kira is treason. I am a loyal citizen of the Oligarchy."

Those dead eyes glittered in a passing beam of light, and he slowly blinked, like an owl ogling its future prey with lazy interest. "Hm. Your ability to lie is quite impressive," the man stated blandly. "I almost believed you."

_Who is this guy?_Light wondered as she frowned blackly at the stranger. He did not seem phased by her expression and merely shrugged, scratching the top of one foot with the toes of the other, head tilted to limply to the side in a palatable boredom.

"I need to go," she told him sharply, careful to keep her voice quiet lest she betray her gender in her frustration.

BANG!

Both she and the strange man looked back at the crowd as screams erupted. There were more enforcers now. People fled the scene. A few were caught by the police, thrown roughly to the ground by the men who were supposed to protect them. Someone was crying. Another person was shouting profanities.

BANG!

In morbid fascination, Light watched helplessly as the innocent fell dead, crimson blood gushing out onto the concrete in a gruesome river. Her hands shook, itching to reach for a pen and the Death Note page she had sewn into her wallet. But without names or faces, she was powerless, just a weak bystander to the gory reality called life. This was why the government needed to fall. Why the world needed Kira. To protect the innocent! To bring the corrupt to justice!

"I believe the entrance exams begin in five minutes, you should hurry."

Light blinked and found the strange man staring at her. He seemed uninterested in the scene, as if this were just a casual springtime event. Without questioning the man on how he knew she was going to the exams, Light pulled her blazer a little tighter around her body an hurried down the street, head bowed, face hidden, a mouse at the jaws of hounds once more.

tbc

**A/N: (Light meets L but doesn't know it yet. Events won't happen quite the same in the anime, so don't be surprised when my timeline deviates haphazardly from it quite frequently. Also, hope yall don't mind it too bad that I skipped over the meeting between Light and Ryuuk and the rehashing of the rules. The rules will get hinted at, but I felt it was more fluid just to segway ahead a few weeks without breaking away to talk about the tests and all that. Anywho~Like it, love it, hate it? Leave a review!)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Shorter chapter 'cause I have one more day of finals and finishing those projects up have consumed my time and energy. I went to bed shaking from stress. Heh. Anxiety problems, what can yah do? Anywho, shout out to LadyTeldra, Murderous Phantom and Satsukibare for reviewing.

Satsukibare: I thought Light would break the pen so many times in the anime as well and was surprised when it didn't happen. So I just had to include my bit of head-cannon pen breaking.

Like it, love it, hate it? Have a comment or a question? Review! They make writers happy. ^_^ And since this a is a 30 day personal writing challenge, feedback is especially important to me. Now, onto the story.

**Fool's Gambit**

**By Catsitta**

5.

"Huh? Why is he on the list of suspects?"

From behind his computer mask, L's eyes narrowed. It was with great reluctance he enlisted to aid of the police force, and within a week, his team of fifty was down to five. The rest were either afraid of Kira or distrustful of the detective and abandoned the case. Unfortunately, his loyal team included one idealistic idiot named Matsuda Touta. Clumsy, inept, big-mouthed Mastuda. Said idiot was holding up a picture of none other than Light Yagami, the student prodigy that "helped" the police in former investigations despite being a civilian.

Pressing a slim finger onto the talk button on his microphone, L leaned close, lips nearly touching the surface of the voice-altering device.

"He fits Kira's profile, same as the others."

One of the other men in the room shook his head and muttered under his breath, "All we know is that Kira is a student who resides in this country."

L plucked a cherry from a nearby bowl of fruit, dipped it in a glob of whipped cream and quickly devoured the sweet. True, the only qualifiers he mentioned to the police were those two things, but L knew vastly more about this Kira. He was young, impulsive and childish. He was competitive and hated to lose. Kira, while intelligent, was foolish, naive, with a poor understanding of how the world worked. And he was attempting to lead a revolution against his totalitarian government through death and terror. Quite child likely believed he was doing a good thing, thought his actions were just.

Who was it that said that it was the people's duty to overthrow a government that which does harm to its citizens. The power was held in the hands of people, and what they chose to give away. Ah yes, John Locke. The Right of Revolution. Is that what Kira wanted? L doubted the murderer gave philosophy much thought before he began to kill.

"Tell me, why do you question Yagami's place in my instigation? He is simply one in many."

Matsuda flushed and laid the documents down. He began to fiddle with his shirt cuffs and shift uneasily. "He's a good kid, sir. He'd never do something like become Kira. I know him. He...he'd the son of the former police chief, you see, and he's helped us with cases and he's, well, so polite. And, well, he wouldn't do anything to hurt his family."

Annoyed but curious, L brought up Yagami's profile up on one of his dozen monitors and skimmed through the various bits of information. Photographs were few and far between, the most current was the first taken in nearly four years and showed the young man giving a graduation speech at his prep academy. There was something painfully flawless about each of the stills, an unnatural perfection that made L's skin itch. Every smile looked calculated, each strand of hair was in its place.

Then there were the vapid school records. Nothing less than perfect scores for the acclaimed prodigy. Teachers sang praises, he was on the watch list by higher ups. Light Yagami was on the road to being highly successful. Yet...something made L pause and stare at this boy that Matsuda called a good kid. No one was so faultless.

He recalled his brief meeting with him. A pure accident. Even a man such as he needed fresh air and blue skies on occasion. Last thing L expected was for Mister Perfect to waltz up the road. Then again, L knew it was Yagami's entrance exam day. Perhaps on a subconscious level L did want to see this so-called paragon of virtue that stained his records. And, in a way, he was as pictures and profiles proclaimed. Handsome, well-dressed and soft-spoken.

But his eyes. In those eyes he saw the fire of a scorned citizen, a maddened genius who if given a chance, would have shot down dead the men who punished the rioters. L wondered if Kira would have killed those men had he been in Yagami's shoes. And if Yagami was Kira, what exactly stopped him from releasing his peculiar brand of justice on the men? So many questions that hung heavily in the air and clouded his usually sharp mind.

Aware that he was silently staring at the microphone, L pressed the button once more and leaned in.

"Do not worry yourself overmuch, the odds of young Yagami being Kira are only one percent at the moment," he said. Matsuda seemed to sag with relief, unaware that one percent was the highest calculated odds given to any of the couple thousand individuals they were investigating. Comparatively, the boy's guilt was monumental to the pithy fractions of a point that his next contended had. But L held his tongue and released the button.

His gaze slid back to Light Yagami's picture.

"Even if you are not Kira, you're hiding something," he murmured. Maybe it was about time to schedule another "accidental" meeting. Switching to a different computer, L returned to his search, mind buzzing. He had a suspect at last.

-tbc-

**A/N: (Damn you Matsuda...So what will L do next? Thanks for reading, please review!)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **I'm writing this between my last two finals. My first presentation went awesome (I worked dang hard on that 42-page signage system design book) and now I need to skeedadle to my web design class to present my website, which after a great deal of crying and hair pulling, is finally uploaded onto a server. Apparently the host needed to approve my IP address, so no matter what I did on my end, nothing could happen until I got their a-okay. Anywho...shout out to squirmy for your...odd review.

See ya'll again tomorrow! Yay for finals being over.

**Fool's Gambit**

**By Catsitta**

6.

"I heard he scored a perfect score on the entrance exams..."

"...No way. Him?"

"No one can be that perfect."

"He looks like a lawyer."

"...Shut up! He's looking this way, he can hear us."

It was always the same. Just people muttering behind her back, wide-eyed with morbid awe as they attempted to peel apart the enigma they perceived. To be a genius sparked rumor enough. To be handsome made eyes starry. To be both made one a pariah. People wanted to be around Light, take advantage of her, be her...but not matter the age or place, no one wanted to be with her or know her on the principle that she was a person.

Perhaps it was for the best. It would not do to make friends with people who could discover your secrets. Even idiots can stumble into truths thought buried six feet under.

Light turned away from the gossiping males, cool and aloof as always. She was going to be god. What use did a god have for friends? No. It was time to focus on school and the Death Note. Messing up now would be her execution.

_"__Hello Light."_

That voice. There, sitting on the edge of a fountain in the university's main plaza, was the odd man from exam day. He looked exactly the same, from his wrinkled clothes to the bruises under his eyes that must be tattooed to his face they were so prominent. This time, he wore shoes, however. A pair of scummy looking sneakers that were two sizes too small and hanging off his monkey toes. Was this creep stalking him? Light had her stalkers over the years, overly attached girls who didn't quite understand why she dumped them after three weeks and the occasional boy who thought Light was just the perfect male specimen.

"How do you know my name?" she demanded sharply, eyes narrowed and hands clenched into loose fists. If need be, she could throw a nasty right hook. The bedraggled man scratched his head then shoved his thumb into the corner of his mouth. He seemed unfazed by Light's tone or angry posture. "And what are YOU doing here?"

"How could I not know Light's name? It is everywhere." How was he talking with his thumb in his mouth? "As for why I am here...it is of no concern to Light." His tone was dismissive as he stood, gaze off somewhere in the distance. He seemed bored.

Unable to shake the feeling of nervousness that sank its claws into her, Light gripped the strap of her book back tightly and began to walk past. She needed to get to class. It would not do to miss first period. Footsteps joined hers and two shadows intermingled on the sidewalk. One glance over her shoulder confirmed it. The creepy man was following.

"Stalking is a crime," she said, straining against the urge to hiss it at him cattily. This whole situation was making her twitchy.

He had the gall to look confused and shrugged, "Light has a very high option of himself if he thinks I have nothing better to do than follow him and steal his unmentionables."

She couldn't help it, she blushed. Was it shame? Humiliation? Anger?

"Light is very strange."

What? "I'm not the one dressed like a vagrant on the campus of the top university in the country, stalking someone all the while speaking as if the person I am stalking is not present."

A pause. "Hm. Light makes a valid point," he said in his usual, bland voice. He did not elaborate. "Tell me, does Light always accuse random bystanders of being vagrant stalkers?"

"No, you're special." Sarcasm was her only salvation at this point.

"How kind of Light to notice." And it was lost. She had no hope. This man was willfully oblivious. "It occurs to me that I am at the advantage. Light doesn't know my name and so he accuses me so hurtfully."

"What makes you think I care?"

There was a glimmer of something in those dead eyes, a spark of something lethal. Neither his face or tone changed as he replied, "Because I am L." What? Light choked on the air she was breathing and her composure faltered. Was this some kind of sick joke? Anyone with any kind of intelligence knew who L was and no one wanted to cross paths with the man. Said to be an unparalleled genius detective that solved impossible cases, and brought them to justice. As in, never to be seen from again, kind of justice. No one just up and declared themselves a renowned, legal assassin! Especially not one that was never seen, not by anyone who alive today. He communicated through computers and codes and...

...Light laughed uncomfortably.

"That is very poor taste in a joke."

Those dark eyes went dead again, "Light doesn't believe me? Then again, he has no reason to. I will ask him to call me Ryuuzaki, however. My identity cannot become common knowledge."

"You should not say things like that...Ryuuzaki."

"Why not?"

Light's eyes flicked up at a nearby camera. Ryuuzaki's back was to it. There was no way the viewer would be able to read the man's confession from his lips on the feed. But hopefully the man got the hint. They were being watched.

If he was L, then he knew and simply did not care. Was it possible the government hired L? If so, why would he be following Light? It was impossible for anyone to know that she was Kira.

"It's poor taste, as I said before. Look, I need to go—"

A loud, electronic shriek erupted from the speakers, their quiet hum of voices shattered. Light clapped both hands over her ears and winced. Ryuuzaki made an face of disgust. Thinking it just an error, she straightened, prepared to walk away from this whole mess as if it were a odd dream. Then an eerie, jumbled voice leaked through the air, deep and ominous.

"This...is Kira."

What? Light paled in horror. Who was making this announcement? Who in their right mind wold pretend to be Kira? Was this just a ploy by the Oligarchy? Light glanced at the self-proclaimed L. He was staring at Light. Why was he staring at her?

"...I do not wish the good and innocent harm. Please, listen to me and we can create a beautiful new world, one without crime and freedom from oppression. I bid the police to lay down their weapons, to not interfere with my mission and you will be safe. Stand against me, and I will have no choice. I expect your reply in two days. Should you refuse, you will die. I cannot stand idle and allow this corruption to continue."

Once again, a loud shriek broke through the speakers before returning to the usual station. Except this time, there was not the drone of pro-oligarchy mantra. It was silent. Dead silent.

From above, Light hear wicked chuckling. The shinigami, with his toothy grin glittering in the sun, began to cackle.

Another Death Note.

Light's book bag hit the ground with a thunk.

She was going to be late to class.

"This was an unexpected turn of events," Ryuuzaki said drolly, though there was a shiver in his unshakable demeanor. He pulled a phone from his pocket with two fingers and held it to his ear as if it he was reluctant to touch it. It was a strange sight Light couldn't dwell on in her shock. A second Kira. The infamous L. What else could make this day get worse?

"Mhm, yes. I'm afraid the situation has changed Watari. Yes, I see you. Goodbye." Ryuuzaki snapped the device shut and slipped it into a pocket.

It all happened too quickly to react.

Light took a step. A sleek, black rolls royce slid into the nearby street. And in a flicker of movement and a flash of steel, Light's hands were cuffed behind her back, a hand clamped over her mouth. He yanked forcefully on the chain between her wrists, sending Light sprawling against his chest, unbalanced. Ten seconds later, the surprisingly strong for looking like a half-starved vagrant, pulled Light from beside the fountain into the open door of the car.

Light attempted to let out a scream for help, that she was being kidnapped once Ryuuzaki's hand left her mouth and she hit the leather interior. But the door of the car slammed shut and the vehicle lurched forwards in a squeal of rubber against asphalt.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!" Light didn't care that her voice hit an odd pitch. Even men could sing soprano if under enough duress.

Ryuuzaki calmly buckled his belt and gave Light a shove back into her seat.

"Isn't it obvious? I am kidnapping Light. It was not my initial plan, but one must always have a backup in case of emergency." The detective reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, pink box. He shook it Light's direction as if she were his guest and not his prisoner. "Pocky?"

"NO I DO NOT WANT POCKY I-"

A hand covered her mouth again and forced something in her mouth. Something that was definitely not pocky. A pill? Light fought against swallowing, but the bastard shoved it down her throat with surprising skill. Wooziness hit her like a brick wall.

"Too bad Light didn't want pocky. It's quite good."

"B-bas...tard..."

Light's eyes fluttered and the world went black.

tbc

**A/N:( Uh oh. Light's in trooouble. And what do ya'll think of ambiguous, assassin/detective L? The world he grew up in was a lot different than before. Same as Light. Hehe. Feedback is awesome! Remember to review.)**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Woot. Finals are over. Now its spring cleaning time. +stares at clutter+ Hm. It's taking time. Shout out to LadyTeldra, KalikoKat123, Yami RosenkreuZ, and guest. Your support is really meaningful.

LadyTeldra: Glad to make you laugh. Even if it was in class. My roommates think I'm crazy sometimes when I burst out laughing while reading and won't tell them why.

**Fool's Gambit**

**By Catsitta**

7.

"I hope you know what you are doing, Ryuuzaki."

These were the words that greeted Light as she drifted heavily back into consciousness. There was a ringing gong in her head and cotton in her mouth. A few slow breaths soothed the bitter taste of sleep but the prospect of opening her eyes was a painful one. Light shifted, muscles protesting each little movement. She grunted, hands curling against soft sheets as she struggled into awareness. Wait. Sheets?

Light's eyes popped open.

Darkness greeted her.

"Bring some tea, Watari. Light should be waking soon."

The events of the day poured into focus, the lethargic haze clearing in an adrenaline fueled instant. Despite her aches, Light jackknifed up and threw aside the sheets. She was on a lush, queen-sized bed in what she presumed was a hotel room, judging by the vague shapes she could perceive through the shadows. The faint glow of street lights filtered between heavy curtains and cast a razor glow across her prison.

As bare feet touched carpet, Light instinctively grabbed the front of her shirt. She let out a ragged sigh of relief as fingertips rolled over familiar buttons. Nothing was out of place. Only her shoes had been removed. That, and everything from her pockets. No phone. No keys. No wallet. She shivered. The Death Note never left her house, and the pages she tore from it and hid on her person were gone. All except for one. Out of paranoia, one small piece laid flush against her chest, kept there by her bindings.

But it was useless. Without a real name, she could not fight back against her kidnapper. Who, she admitted begrudgingly, was likely L. How could this happen? Light was careful. She did nothing to attract negative attention. No one had any reason to assassinate her. And if this was an attempt at ransom, then she was dead either way, because her family was broke! They lived off of government aid. Aid that they would no longer get...

Light felt her heartbeat begin to pick up, stomach twisting violently.

No, she had to get away. She had to survive this. Not even L would stop Kira from bringing a new era of peace to this rotten world.

The door opened quietly. Lights flicked on. Ryuuzaki slouched in.

"I see Light is awake," he droned. "How is he feeling?"

"Like I was drugged and kidnapped," Light snapped.

Unblinking black eyes met brown for a second, before drifting to the ceiling. He seemed unbothered by Light's disdain. "Light is very rude."

Rude? She was rude? "Am I supposed to be gushing with joy right now?"

"Light is alive, isn't he? I would say that is reason enough."

Light couldn't help it. It was an act of impulse and anger. A break in her composure that revealed the very tumultuous humanity lurking behind the perfect son facade. Her arm snapped back and she slugged him. Bare knuckles met her kidnapper's cheekbone, sending his head back as if it were a hinge. She retracted her wrist and made to punch again, but this time, when her fist connected with Ryuuzaki's face, it was like hitting stone, he didn't move.

Dead eyes brightened. Light took a step back, prepare to strike again. Except before she could launch her blow, the man was on the floor, and a foot was lodged beneath her ribs, rendering Light breathless. Staggered and gasping, she was unable to dodge when a heel came crashing down on her bent back, forcing her onto the carpet.

Deft hands were upon Light in an instant, pulling her arms behind her back and cuffing her wrists together. She struggled fruitlessly as Ryuuzaki straightened her and crouched nearby, thumb lodged back into his mouth.

"Light is angry."

"No shit sherlock, how did you ever come to that conclusion?" Light often looked down on swearing, felt that curse words were vulgar and unintelligent, but whenever this creep got involved, those were the only words that came to mind.

"Light does not seem the type to start physical fights, he is too smart for such basal recreation, thus I must conclude that he is angry for my treatment of him." He really didn't get sarcasm did he? Light blew some strands of hair from her face that had fallen over her nose in the fight. It needed a trim. "I still think Light should be thankful that he is unscathed. He even slept in my bed when I could have easily left him tied up in the bathtub."

"Your generosity knows no bounds," Light muttered, folding her legs indian style, wincing as her bruised ribs throbbed. "So what now, _L_?"

The detective removed his thumb and used his index finger to tap his chin. "Tea," he said. Before Light could comment, an old gentleman dressed like an english butler walked in, a silver tray perched on white-gloved hands. A tea pot and two delicate matching cups, a pile of sugar cubes and an array of finger-sized sweets sat on the tray. "Thank you, Watari. That will be all for now." The butler gave a small, respectful bow and left.

In his odd manner of holding things, Ryuuzaki somehow managed to pour tea into the two cups using only two fingers. "Sugar?" When Light shook her head, still frowning at her kidnapper, the infamous detective began to drop cubes into his cup with noisy plops. One. Three. Five. Ten. She felt ill watching. There was more sugar in the cup than tea!

He picked up a scone and dipped it in the toxic concoction, before nibbling on it with almost mannerly interest. A minute later, the scone was gone, and Ryuuzaki was lifting a cup to Light's lips.

"Look, I'm not interested in tea right now."

"Nonsense. Light needs nourishment."

"Do you always try to force tea on your prisoners?"

"No. Light is the first."

A few minutes of struggle a mild banter later found Light glaring at the detective as the man fed her bits of noxious sweets and thankfully black tea. It was safest to comply since struggling could end up in spilling and if the cup was dumped on her shirt, questions would no doubt be asked.

"Ryuuzaki, why am I here?" she asked when the last of the sweets were cleared and the tea had cooled.

"Ah, that is confidential."

"I would like to know why I'm a prisoner of an assassin."

A sigh. Black eyes rolled to the ceiling again. "I have my reasons."

"Is this about Kira?"

Ryuuzaki turned bodily in Light's direction, "What brings Light to that conclusion?"

"I am not stupid. You were there when the protesters began to riot and asked me if I supported Kira. Then you kidnap me when Kira supposedly makes an announcement on the radio..."

"Supposedly? Light has reason to doubt the authenticity of Kira's broadcast?"

Shit. Light quickly calculated the best means of escaping this corner she'd backed into and decided the truth was mostly a good place to start. "Kira is not the kind of person to make himself known like that. He would never broadcast his intent when his message is reaching the ears of the people through his actions. It is clear he wishes to bring down the Oligarchy and kill dangerous criminals, that he sees himself as justice. To send a message like that makes no sense."

"All the news reporters were found dead of heart attacks," the detective supplied. "Kira's work."

"I...you're right. Honestly, what are the odds of a...well, a second Kira of all things."

A slight smile quirked onto that expressionless face, "Exactly my thoughts. We are dealing with two Kira's and I suspect that the second wishes to catch the attention of the first."

"Wait, this is supposed to be confidential...why are you telling me?"

Ryuuzaki nibbled on his thumb, "Because I find Light's thought process strangely skin to mine. It is, satisfying for someone to come to the same conclusion as I without my prompting."

"Then will you tell me why I am here?"

"Light said it himself, it is because of the Kira case. Though the specifics should not elude Light for long if his genius is as his files proclaim."

Light shifted and the rattle of the handcuffs made her gut drop.

"I am a suspect."

"My only suspect."

"WHAT? WHY?"

Ryuuzaki grinned and stood, "I have work to do, Light. I shall return tonight."

"Wait...it is night."

"Hm. 3 a.m. is my morning. You will adapt."

As the detective left, Light realized the implication of that statement. He was planning on her being in his custody for the long term. She wrenched against the chains.

"No! You can't do this!"

She could hear Ryuuk laughing. This was only becoming more and more amusing for a bored shinigami.

-tbc-

**A/N: (Well, this could be trouble. Thanks for reading, please review and I'll see y'all tomorrow!)**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **Shout out to UnslightlyDreams for their review. And to answer your question, Light's yelling at L in the car is based off of the scene in which Light's father fakes his execution. And her further impulsive reactions are based off of the seemingly unprovoked attacks he made through the anime. Light has anger issues, impulsive issues and now a new reason to be afraid. She is masking her fear with anger. It's not because she is a woman. Heh. Though Light will regain her composure once things get rolling along and she feels more secure.

Thank you for expressing your observations!

**Fool's Gambit**

**By Catsitta**

8.

"PLEASE DAD, NO! I'M NOT KIRA!"

Light struggled against the handcuffs that bound her, tears streaming down a bruised face. A female was nearby, screaming for the man to see reason, but the aging police chief held the gun to Light's forehead, expression manic in the wake of their fear.

"I love you, my son. See you in hell."

Why was he doing this? Light twisted and fought. She wasn't Kira! She wasn't Kira! How could her own father betray her like this, take her execution into his hands? L was wrong. She could never be a murderer, never.

Time seemed to move in slow motion. The slick sound of a metal mechanism turning, the trigger of fate pulled. Death lurked in the barrel. Light clamped her eyes shut, turned her head violently away so that cool steel rested against her temple. He was going to kill her then himself. WHY! That final, fatal click rolled into place and then...

"BANG."

In his place was Ryuuzaki, fingers held like a child might, eyes dead as always.

"You're dead."

.

Light jerked awake with a gasp and a shudder. What kind of dream was that? Her father was over a decade in the grave. And why did he call her son? Dreams were an inexact science, filled with fraudulent schemers who sought to profit off of crystals and prophecies. But this time, it felt so real, almost symbolic of something. Of course, in truth it was simply her brain coping with all of the changes in her life in a strange sequence of impossible events, no matter how shaken it left her.

The stress was getting to her, warping her sensibilities. Now was not the time to panic, but she could feel herself trembling, akin to the first time she wrote a name in the Death Note. Light wanted to laugh in a wild manner, to lose herself to the strange giddiness of inanity that threatened to overtake her delicate psyche. Instead she curled slightly on herself, stoic and calm on the outside despite the battle within. She was Light Yagami, genius and lawful son. She was Kira, the unflappable god of the new world. She would not break. Not now.

No. Now she needed to be stronger than ever. No more losing her temper, or becoming flighty with fear. If she was to prove her innocence and escape alive, it was time to regain her composure.

"Why is Light on the floor?"

Startled by her captor's voice, Light lurched oddly into a sitting position. All around her were tangles of sheets. "I-I must have fallen off the bed in my sleep," she said. "These handcuffs make it hard to rest peacefully."

Ryuuzaki approached from whatever dark corner he'd been lurking in before and pulled Light to her feet. "Hm, Light is suffering nightmares. Perhaps a guilty conscious is what haunts him, and not the handcuffs alone."

Light snorted, "You would not be dreaming about roses and rainbows if you were kidnapped and taken prisoner by an assassin. Or, if you were accused of being a mass murderer. Any moment you could decide I'm too much of a hassle to keep alive and kill me."

"I do not kill the innocent, Light. Only the guilty have reason to fear me."

"Then it's a good thing I'm not Kira then."

"As you insist," Ryuuzaki said almost cryptically. "Now, Light is a very orderly creature from what I have observed and would likely enjoy an opportunity to preen. I have obtained for him a fresh change of clothes and various hygiene products identical to those he prefers."

Light frowned. How exactly would he know what she used to wash her hair and brush her teeth? "Did you break into my house?"

"No. I asked one of my employees to make a list of the items he observed in the Yagami wash room."

She felt the corner of her mouth twitch as she fought the urge to yell at Ryuuzaki for his invasion of privacy. But if his people could just waltz into her home, what was stopping him from killing her family at any given moment.

"Ryuuzaki, look, we need to talk."

"I do believe we are in the process of conversing at this moment."

"Fine. I need to talk about my family," Light said, hoping to drag the subject towards a topic that was bothering her from minute one of this fiasco. "They don't have much of an income. I provide for them. The government takes care of me and my family for the sake of my education and future career. Without me there, in school, they will lose everything. Your impulsiveness is likely to make my mother and sister homeless."

"Kira actually considering the well-being of his family, curious." Ryuuzaki murmured. "From my observations, he would do anything to get what he desires, even destroy his loved ones."

Light pulled against the metal around her wrists, "I'm not Kira. You're hurting an innocent family, _L._"

"Perhaps..." he tapped his chin briefly before grabbing the chain between Light's cuffs. He began to pull her towards what she presumed was the bathroom. "If Light is not Kira, he should trust that no harm shall come to him. As I said, only the guilt should need fear of me. I consider myself quite benevolent." He clicked on the light and unlocked one of the cuffs, leaving it to dangle from Light's left wrist as a wicked reminder. "Fifteen minutes, Light. Then I will come in and retrieve you. If you give me reason, I will take away this privacy as well."

Light stared at the bedraggled man in disbelief, "You would watch me shower if you thought it would give you more evidence towards my guilt."

"Light seems surprised. Light is quite beautiful, I am sure he would have nothing to be ashamed of should this come to pass."

"Y-you...You're a pervert! You want to watch me shower."

Ryuuzaki rolled his eyes towards the ceiling and sighed, "Light acts so shy. He must have showered communally before since he was an athlete. Or did the tennis team not use the gym facilities? It would be the same. I have not interest in leering at Light, despite what he may wish."

Did he just imply that Light was the pervert wanting to get an eyeful of Ryuuzaki naked? She could not fight the flush of mortification that rose to her cheeks hotly. "Stay out of the bathroom," Light growled before slamming the door.

"Fifteen minutes, Light."

She gripped her hair and tugged it in a futile attempt to smother her building anger at the idiot genius. This was going a bad way fast. And if Ryuuzaki discovered she was a woman, then her options narrowed very quickly. There was a strong possibility he would release her into the hands of the Oligarchy, or even hike up her Kira odds since she lied about her gender for years...Maybe she could seduce him...Light felt herself green at the thought of that.

Seducing anyone made her very uneasy. Repulsed even. Sure, Light kissed girls. Many girls. It was expected of a popular boy to court females and touch them and kiss them and even whisper sweet nothings into their ears. She did not enjoy it. Kissing was a cold, indifferent process that at best left her feeling hollow and at worst left her feeling gross. Once, on a dare, she'd even kissed a boy. Afterwards, Light made a show of how angry she was about that dare, feigned fury and disgust. But like with the girls, she'd felt nothing. Never in her eighteen years did she feel desire...towards anyone.

A strange thing for what everyone presumed was a vigorous young teenager.

Thus as she stood in the bathroom, considering what seducing the detective would entail, Light shuddered. No. That was not a route she would go into. Realizing then that her minutes were escaping, she quickly climbed into the ornate shower that was big enough for three and tried to ignore the fact that the bathing products were exactly what she would use and in exactly the right places. She tried to push aside the fact that the clothes provided were in the same style and size in her closet.

At fifteen minutes exactly, as she was doing up the final button on her collar, Ryuuzaki pulled open the bathroom door heedlessly and stared at Light.

"What?" she growled, shifting towards the mirror to comb her hair into place.

"Second Kira is making an announcement on the radio," he said simply, before departing, leaving the bathroom door wide open.

Not wanting to miss this opportunity, Light abandoned the comb on the edge of the sink and dashed after the detective.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **Ah, today's my roomie's graduation and tomorrow's her birthday. Busy, busy. I'm also applying for a paid internship for the summer. Crossing my fingers. Shout out to caylender, m.z, NATARYA, and guest, for your reviews last chapter. Thank you so much.

unsightlydreams: Well, poor Matsuda. He's just a product of his upbringing. Boy means well. And this story will be exploring a few topics that are rather important to me as a person, though whether or not my personal viewpoint is expressed is left unstated. I hopefully have a few more surprises, especially for the feminist side of you. Heh.

**Fool's Gambit**

**By Catsitta**

9.

"You want me to do what?"

Ryuuzaki rolled dead eyes towards the ceiling. The second Kira made his second announcement an hour prior, repeating a similar mantra from his first, before slaughtering a slew of prominent public figures. Light felt her jaw tighten. This was not what Kira represented. This was not Kira's justice! Then the detective made that galling suggestion.

"I want Light to pose as first Kira and send a message to the second, demanding that he cease these murders in his name. Quite simple."

Light was unsure whether to be flattered or insulted. "You think I can trick this second Kira?" she said with off-hand curiosity. "What would the original Kira even sound like?"

The glimmer returned to those black orbs. "Like Light," he said. "Childish and arrogant." Ryuuzaki ducked beneath Light's response. "And violent. Light is quite abusive."

"I hate you," she growled before stalking off with the pen-and-paper the asshat handed her to take notes with earlier. Light sat down primly on the ornate sofa, content to ignore the conspicuous consumption around her. Who needed a gold-framed oil painting over a salt water fountain in a living room for pete's sake? Who needed a living room in a hotel suite for that matter? Grumbling about rich geniuses with no social skills, Light scribbled down a suitably Kira speech.

A speech she almost wanted to make.

Tawny eyes flicked up when the sofa cushion depressed. Ryuuzaki perched himself like a vulture at Light's side, peering over her elbow with childish interest.

"Must you?" Light hissed, elbowing the snooping detective in the gut. He frowned at her, before grabbing the dangling handcuff and snapping it onto his own wrist. Light couldn't help but goggle in disbelief. "Is that necessary? I'm sitting right here."

Ryuuzaki sat in his usual position, jerking Light's arm into an odd angle as he did so. The chain between the cuffs was not long enough to share. "Stop that! I need to write."

"Light uses his other hand."

"You're such a brat!" she jerked her arm back, which only started a ten minute tug of war that ended with the both of them grappling on the floor with nasty bruises on their arms. "Gettof!" Ryuuzaki seemed quite content to straddle her stomach and pin her wrists to either side of her head. Light twisted, trying to use her legs to dislodge the detective, but he was surprisingly steady for someone who looked like little more than skin-and-bones.

"Light really should stop struggling," he droned. She was about to ask why she would give up this battle when she felt it. IT. Was he...aroused by this situation? Light paled.

"You. Are. A. Pervert! Off!"

"It is an involuntary reaction," Ryuuzaki replied in a slightly put-out tone. "One that would not have occurred had Light simply written his speech." Slowly, he climbed off and awkwardly assisted Light to her feet. Only pure will power kept Light from kicking him where it hurt. She glared at the wall, fists balled tight.

"Let me write the speech and go back to the room."

"And here I thought you wanted to help with the Kira case."

"If I WAS Kira," Light threatened. "You'd be dead by now. So suck on that and leave me alone."

It took another hour before she completed the short announcement, already exhausted with the day. She handed it to the hovering detective, who held it between two fingers and gave it a quick glance over.

"One thing, Light. Take out the part about second Kira having free reign to kill L, or I will end up dead."

"You sound as if you think I care."

"You will go down with me, Light. We are chained together. No telling second Kira about my presence here in the country or giving him instructions on how to murder me."

Light rolled her eyes and snatched it back, "You wanted it to sound like Kira."

Ryuuzaki stood up and tugged on the chain, "Follow. Light has an announcement to make."

Soon, they stood in what was presumably a bedroom previously, filled to the brim with computers of every kind. Light was awestruck. This was...amazing. But she did not get a chance to linger. Ryuuzaki pulled her to a microphone, pressed a few buttons, and one of the monitors lit up with the word 'KIRA' in gothic lettering.

Taking this as her cue, Light lowered her mouth to the voice altering device.

"Citizen's of Japan," she began. "This...is Kira. The real Kira."

.

The tube of lipstick hit the vanity with a clatter. Blue eyes widened as she listened to the voice floating over the radio waves. Misa could not believe it. Kira...the original Kira, the man who punished her parents' murderer, was speaking to her. She grinned and clutched at the laces of her bodice with girlish delight, her heart racing beneath her palm.

"Oh Rem, I did it. I caught his attention," she whispered. "Kira. My hero."

From the shadows, a hulking white shinigami emerged, bulging eye focused on Misa's blushing face. "I don't like this Misa," she warned. "This Kira...he could kill you."

"He would never do that!" Misa said, picking up her lipstick and slowly twisting it down. "When I find him and introduce myself, I will make myself useful to him. And he will fall in love with me! Hehe. Oh, I can just imagine it. I bet he's handsome and smart. He'll take me away from this...hellhole! Make me his queen."

Misa adjusted the neck of her bodice and dipped a finger into her impressive cleavage. She flashed a false smile and winked at the mirror. Then shoved away.

Misa Amane would be Kira's queen some day.

But until then, she was Misa Misa, courtesan to the stars.

tbc

**A/N: (Introducing, the fabulous Misa Misa! And handcuffs. Uh-oh.)**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Thank you to everyone who has been reading and reviewing. We are 1/3 of the way through this 30 day challenge. Shout out to NATARYA and LadyTeldra for reviewing.

NATARYA: My chapters should get longer in a few days. I've been writing between finals, graduations and birthdays. Heh. Though I think 1,500 words in a day is a pretty good chunk of text. Though, when I started my first fanfic ever, Fourth Time's the Charm, I did spend a few days pumping out up to 3,200 words in a day. All depends on time, my dear.

LadyTeldra: I love your reviews. You made me laugh. Though, I'll be sticking up a warning here soon for more...sensitive subject matter. No material in this fic will be explicit, but it may get into the sensual side that may be, ah, not work safe. Tell me if you ever feel I need to up this to an M rating.

**Fool's Gambit**

**By Catsitta**

10.

"Is this somehow supposed to make me feel better about this situation?"

Instead of a couple inches, there was almost ten feet of chain between her and Ryuuzaki, connected by glittering cuffs that neither of them possessed the key to unlock. The detective seemed honestly confused by her frustration.

"This is my lifeline, Light," he said. "Light will not kill me if he is bound to me. And my associates have been informed who to arrest should I die."

"You just want to watch me shower, you pervert."

"Pervert. Light keeps calling me that," Ryuuzaki murmured dreamily. "I am...a pervert? How did Light come to this conclusion?"

Light did not answer, she merely stalked away, slamming the bedroom door between them and ignoring the resulting bounce back open. This would take some figuring out.

.

The next two days passed at a crawl. Ryuuzaki was far from used to spending his time in the presence of another individual, and this person needed sleep of all things. He lost one laptop before forming this conclusion. This temper of Light's was quite unexpected. Everything he did provoked the teen into doing something, usually physical violence. According to the records, Light was calm and never one to end up in physical altercations. What made Ryuuzaki special?

As he nibbled on his thumbnail, he pulled his focus from the boy sleeping on the bed to stare at the document before him. It was a written transcription of second Kira's latest message. It was an odd, coded reply that included various locations and possible deaths and a dark reference about shinigami. Death Gods. What did showing our shinigami to each other mean? Was it a reference to how the Kira's kill?

He sighed and found his gaze trailing back to Light.

In sleep, he was sinfully mussed and blissfully innocent. There was no pinch between his brows, no narrowness of his eyes. Light was kind and at ease in rest. And that perfect hair was in utter disarray. Part of him wanted to fix the disorder. To pull loose strands away from that angelic face. To reveal that straight nose and high cheekbones and long, dark lashes.

Ryuuzaki picked up a cup of cold tea and sipped it.

"What is Light doing to me?" he whispered. L never took prisoners like this. Never studied and admired them in their sleep. But Light was beautiful, in both body and mind. Despite what the few who knew him thought, he was not immune to a pretty face. He liked human beauty same as artwork or a startling natural landscape. He marveled it. Wanted to stare longingly with no desire to capture or touch. But with Light. That powerful, witty mind that was always with a response. An IQ that rivaled his own. A subtle naivety lurked behind that calm facade and quick to spark anger. Light was brilliant and passionate and...

...a suspect. After confining Light, his Kira percentage skyrocketed. 1 percent quickly transformed into almost 98 percent certainty. Ever since Light came into his custody, Kira's former pattern of kills sputtered to a stop, replaced by the actions of this new Kira. Circumstantial evidence was enough for L to present Light to the Oligarchy as Kira, have him publicly executed as they demanded. But...there was no proof of how Light killed. It unsettled the detective. And, to his shame, aroused more than just his curiosity.

It was unprofessional. This entire case caused him to abandon all precedent. And there was a very good chance that he would be unable to hand over this boy to his employer for them to murder. Ryuuzaki was selfish, childish and hated to lose. If he wanted something, he made it his. He never wanted a person before. Never felt the urge to grab and claim and never let go. He'd known geniuses before, knew that he was attracted to ripe minds, but the burn always fizzled long before he ever felt the inclination to act. It was different with Light. He was interesting. Lovely.

A mass murderer.

Kira.

Blood. He tasted blood. Ryuuzaki blinked and pulled his abused thumb from his mouth. How strange.

His eyes slid back to Light. The white lawn of his button-up shirt gleamed in the faint glow of Ryuuzaki's dimmed laptop. Part of him pondered why the boy slept in his clothes, but the rest of him shrugged it off. Likely he did not trust his jailor. Understandable.

"He will be the death of me..."

**A/N: (A little insight into L's head. Next up will be the clash of the kira's. Also, Tuesday's update will be very short. I'm goin' to Disney. ^_^ My friend is in the college internship program so she can get me in for free. I haven't seen the girl in months. Anywho~see ya'll for another update tomorrow. Remember to review! It makes me smile each time I see one in my inbox.) **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** Well, I got an interview for the internship...It's a panel interview apparently. I get to go at 9:00 a.m. wednesday to traumatize myself in front of three design directors. Lovely. Anywho, shout out to NATARYA and LadyTeldra.

LadyTeldra: Haha. Well, yes, I'll be in Disney World. Small world, eh? And your reviews have so much personality, it's awesome. And speaking of lust...we'll be dabbling into the romance genre of this tale darn soon.

NATARYA: I have his reaction all planned out. -blushes slightly- I might have thought about it a liiitle too much. It's a romance story, so hey, you can guess how the whole things winds up at the end, yeah? ^_^

**Fool's Gambit**

**By Catsitta**

11.

"NO WAY! Light?"

She wanted to throttle Ryuuzaki. His bright idea was to introduce her to his elite team of special operatives and follow through with the catch Kira plan. A plan which he devised and told Light about mere twenty minutes before shoving her into the back of the rolls royce. Thoroughly bugged and prepped for this mission, Light was then dumped into Watari's care. Apparently the great L had yet to do his reveal, and none of the force knew his face.

So that was how she ended up standing in the middle of the task force HQ, getting stared at by enforcers and nearly toppled over by Matsuda.

She reveled the chance to shove the idiot onto the floor.

"You are the special agent L hired? How long have you been working for him? Ah! Is this that super secret government thing that you're doing in the place of college?"

One of the other enforcers grabbed the junior officer and cuffed him upside the head.

"Shut up," he growled.

Light blinked and observed these men. "Aizawa? Mogi? Ukita? Ide?" she said, recalling their names. Should any of them become a problem, it would be easy enough to kill them.

The others nodded in her direction.

They clearly believed whatever story L had concocted.

"For those of you who may not be familiar, I am Light Yagami," she began. "L brought me in to assist in the capture of a second Kira." The men shifted, clearly uncomfortable with the notion that there were two individuals capable of causing heart attacks like all-seeing gods. "We have a list of seven times and locations. Through much research, we have determined that there are only two likely places that this second Kira will appear to meet the first Kira. I, as instructed by L, will be posing as the first Kira. You all will be monitoring the area as I seek to initiate contact. Any questions?"

Aizawa, the oldest officer in the room, frowned at Light, "Why you? What makes you special, kid?"

Light slipped her thumb into her slacks pocket and rolled the pad over the tiny slip of Death Note paper hidden there. What made her special? She was going to be god one day.

"That is confidential information only L can provide. He will be watching as well."

She met every eye on the task force.

This would be an interesting day.

.

Sitting down at the Note Blue cafe, Light sipped at her third coffee and scowled irritably. Finding this second Kira was proving strangely complicated. Then again, was the guy supposed to walk around with a neon sign above his head?

"Hey Light, you're looking glum," Ryuuk said from nearby, chuckling madly. "Do you know what cheers me up? Apples."

_Unless you're planning on telling me where the second Kira is, shut up,_ Light thought at the shinigami, who was quite deaf to the girl's innermost dialogue. At least the death god left her alone most of the time. Where it wandered off to, she did not want to know.

She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and played with the edge of the styrofoam cup. Boredom. Always boredom. This should be a time of pounding hearts and adrenaline edged fear, but Light struggled not to doze off at the table.

Suddenly, a girl tripped violently into Light's lap.

Coffee spilled everywhere. The chair wobbled. The stranger squeaked.

"Oh my! I'm sooo sorry," she wailed. Light fought the urge to shove her off her lap. Then their eyes met. Was that a ring of red in those eyes? Her gaze trailed to above Light's head. "Moon Yagami...No..Light...Ah! It's you."

This girl...this clumsy female was the second Kira?

Light was nearly knocked over as she was practically molested by an unexpected grapple of affection.

She could hear Ryuuk laughing nastily in the background.

"Oh, Misa has missed Light sooo much," the girl cried out. "It's been too long. How have you been? Is it true you are attending To-Oh University?"

Who was this girl? Light narrowed her eyes. Time to play along.

"Yes. I am studying criminal law there," Light said, slowly extracting herself from the second Kira. "Please, take a seat."

"Oh, no need to be so formal," Misa purred, sending chills down Light's spine. Oh for the love of god, was she getting hit on? When Misa deposited herself back onto her lap, Light's suspicions were confirmed. "You've turned out quite handsome."

Light swallowed uneasily, "I'm flattered. However, I would be more comfortable if you sat down in another chair."

Painted nails raked through Light's hair and she felt Misa's breasts press against her bound chest. Blonde hair fell around their faces like a waterfall. Rouge lips danced by Light's ear, "Misa would like to thank Kira for his justice properly. She would do anything for the man who punished her parent's killer. Oh, how I've longed to meet you...rule beside you." Teeth skated along the shell of Light's ear. "Touch you."

Light yelped when Misa rolled her hips against hers, clearly seeking to elicit a certain reaction from who she presumed was a male. "Misa...we need to talk," Light said in a tight voice. Struggling not to throw the wench off of her. People were no doubt staring. "You say you will do anything for Kira..."

"Yesss."

"...would you kill in his name?"

"Oh, I'm sorry if I offended you. But Misa wanted Kira's attention..."

"Tell me...how do I know you are who you claim..."

Misa grinned and planted a lipstick thick kiss on her lips, "Five. Four. Three. Two..."

The small television in the corner of the cafe erupted into commotion. Three more of the Oligarchy were dead. Light blinked widely at the strange girl on her lap.

"Misa would do anything to prove her love and devotion," she crooned. "She believes in Kira's dream."

"I..." Light could not react. She felt numb. Whoever this Misa person was had access to the names and faces of elusive politicians. Powerful people. She was a weapon clad in a gothic lolita dress and pigtails.

Weight lifted from Light's lap, "We need to keep in touch! I know, let's go on a date friday. Here, take my card. Call me. Misa will always pick up..." She grabbed Light by her tie, a tie she reluctantly put on that morning at Ryuuzaki's strange insistence. Once again, those lips were on Light's, demanding and experienced. Misa knew exactly what to do with that tongue to make a guy shiver. Unfortunately for both of them, the last thing Light wanted was to make-out with a stranger in the middle of an investigation.

An overly painted up, perfume drenched, clingy...Light felt her gut clench up in recoil.

Misa pulled away with a sigh, "Oh, Light is a wonderful kisser."

She giggled, then pranced away.

Light glanced at the card that Misa shoved into her hand then flushed bright red.

She pulled out her phone and dialed L's number.

"I found the suspect..." Light said. "Her name is Misa Amane..and she's a, ah, high-class escort and nude model."

"She seemed rather fond of Light."

"I...I don't know why."

"Report back to HQ."

"Ryuuzaki..."

Light did not like the odd tone in the detective's voice, it made her heart race, more than Misa's advances did or ever could.

"If Light does not report back to HQ in ten minutes, he will be promptly arrested."

"Ryu..."

"HQ, now Light. The others will apprehend Miss Amane."

The line went dead. So did Light's heart.

Unwilling to admit defeat, she made her way to the rolls royce awaiting her in the street. Kira would not fall on this day. She would cleanse this rotten world and not even L would stand in her way.

tbc

**A/N: (Uh-oh...Tomorrow will be a shortie! But please, review. I appreciate every review.)**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: **This chappy ended up full length for...reasons. +flushes+ Shout out to UnsightlyDreams, guest and Ubermarine.

UnslightDreams: +pokes this chapter+ Uhhhh, questions will be answered.

Ultramarine: I've based this dystopic world on the various false utopia's created through the centuries, many of which included the oppression of the people through the hurtful rule of the government. Often, war and/or world domination was a big part. Education it seems, always is effected first, because the population must be submissive to the ruler and should believe as the ruler wishes.

**DISCLAIMER: READ WITH A MATURE MINDSET. This is verging on M territory and while not overtly explicit, is not work safe. 'Cause if someone catches the wrong part of the chapter, they'll definitely be questioning what is going on. Also, if you can imagine what is going on in "M" detail, then that's your own dang fault. ^_-**

**Warning: Potential triggers.**

**Now onto the show!**

**Fool's Gambit**

**By Catsitta**

12.

"I'm not Kira!"

It came as no surprise that Ryuuzaki handcuffed her the moment she stepped back into the hotel room. After debriefing at HQ with the enforcers, confirming that the individual in their possession was Misa Amane, she was swept away back to wonderland by Watari. Light held her head high and kept herself bland-faced and stoic. At least, until L decided to show the darker side of his investigation training.

She could not move her wrists, they were tightly bound together, the cuffs almost cutting off circulation with every movement. Ryuuzaki covered Light's eyes with a blindfold despite her struggles. And after a tumble against the wall, she found herself pinned once more. It was humiliating. Now the bastard was interrogating her in the most bizarre fashion. In some countries, this would likely qualify as mild torture.

"Stop lying," Ryuuzaki said for the countless time, pushing Light against the wall, bruising her aching shoulders further. He pulled on her bound wrists, forcing her elbows to bend at an uncomfortable angle. Would he actually break bones to get a confession. To make matters worse, Ryuuk had yet to leave her side since the Misa incident and was laughing all the while, occasionally making commentary. Sadistic voyeur. "Kira all but confirmed his identity. How does Kira kill? Answer me!"

"This can't be legal!" A foot pressed against the back of Light's knee. The joint ached as the detective inched it painfully in the wrong direction. "Stop! What the hell. I helped you catch the second Kira. I'm not...I'm not a killer! I don't know how Kira kills! Please."

If only she knew his name. Forty seconds. She'd be free.

In desperation, she thought of how close this country was to true revolution. Six of that damned Oligarchy were dead. Just two more. Tears bit at the corner of her eyes. Something was going to snap. Just like that pen. Ink bleeding on stark white pages. Black glittering like blood on the hands of a self-made god. She was the start of change! A match dropped into a warehouse of fireworks. Bang, Bang. Light held the smoking gun. But no one could find the bullets.

"Are you Kira?"

"NO!"

Light saw stars. Ryuuzaki bounced her head off the wall.

She was jerked backwards and thrust towards the center of the room. Her aching knee buckled and Light hit the floor. A hand found her hair and pulled.

"Are you Kira?"

"Fuck! No. Let go of me!"

"Don't force this issue, Light. Confess. I will find out one way or another when Misa breaks."

"You're supposed to be a man of justice!"A foot connected with Light's ribs, rendering her breathless.

"I am L. I am justice."

"Why?"

"Light forgets that I am more than just a detective," Ryuuzaki droned, but his voice was eerily dark. "Tell me, did Light enjoy kissing Misa? Did he think he could trick L by consorting shamelessly with the second Kira?"

At last regaining her breath, Light spluttered. "What? Where did this line of questioning come from? Why would I enjoy kissing that trollop? I was traumatized, you moron. If I seemed rendered speechless by that...woman, it was because I couldn't believe that she would...do THAT in public. And I questioned her just like you asked me too...between her attempts at molesting me."

"How did Misa know Light's name?"

"It's everywhere! Anyone who can read knows my name. I was the top scoring student on the entrance exams. She must have gone to school with me at some point and recognized my face and name. I don't know how she knew me, I just went along with it."

"Light lies so prettily," L said. He didn't say it nicely. Who was this person? This wasn't the childish brat she spent the last few days being annoyed by and getting into fistfights with. This was someone else. Someone dangerous. This was L the assassin. The man who made people of interest vanish. "What would make him tell the truth for once in his life?"

"What?"

Ryuuzaki picked Light up off the floor and shoved her once again, this time forcing her onto the bed. Sightless, bound and hurting from his mistreatment, she felt a chill settle into her bones. She did not like the way this equation was adding up. Working for the police on the sly and being a "brother" made Light quite aware of what happened to women when someone got it into their head that they needed to be put into their place. Enforcers would abuse girls who unlawfully worked certain jobs or attempted to get further education.

It was one of the reasons she distrusted the police. They were as infected as the criminals they arrested. A rot rooted in the government. It was her destiny to free the people from this fear, to wipe away the evil. She would make this world a better place!

Needs must.

Light shivered and relaxed her muscles. Went limp.

If one could not win the battle, then giving up for the sake of the war was necessary. Light would do what was needed to win. Anything. No matter how galling. L was cornering her fast.

"Tell me, has Light ever told the truth?"

"Everyone lies, Ryuuzaki," she deadpanned. "It's how we survive."

"Are you Kira?"

"No."

Ryuuzaki's hands clamped onto Light's shoulders and pushed her down, she could feel him hovering above her, knees at either hip. This was a familiar pose. Many of their fights ended with them like this. This time, however, the tension remained thick even after the anger faded.

"I want the truth from Light's lips. He will tell no more lies."

"I'm not Kira!"

"Then why does Light lie!"

She wasn't expecting his shout. He never raised his voice, ever. Light didn't like this person. Ryuuzaki made Light nervous, but L...he made her fear for her life. Uneasy fingers twitched, wanting to desperately write down a name. To end this madness with a few strokes of a pen.

"Stop this," she said. "This isn't justice."

"Says Kira. The murderer of many."

"Says the accused by the assassin."

Silence.

A sharp breath.

Hands clenched around her shoulders, then..then one trailed down. Delicate. A whispering ghost. It bumped over every crease and button before settling on a buckle. Two fingers looped around the belt and tugged meaningfully. Light began to struggle anew.

"STOP!"

He wouldn't. Even L wouldn't stoop that low, would he? He was a man, but there had to be good men out there.

"Are you Kira?"

"No!"

"Stop lying!"

"I have to you bastard!"

Light flipped over, using her desperation to twist in the detective's grip. She bucked and wriggled, hands growing numb from the abuse. Ryuuzaki pulled her back, straddling her stomach once again.

"Why does Light have to lie?"

She could feel his breath on her face.

"B-because...I..." Could she do this? Ignoring her revulsion, she lurched up and pressed her lips against Ryuuzaki's. Well, she tried to. She missed. Her mouth touched his upper lip. Light pulled back, mortified. What was she doing? This was a mistake. A horrible mistake. And...

...lips pressed against hers, soft at first, questing. Dry, closed mouth kisses that were more experimental than anything else. Was he kissing her? Her question was answered when he figured out what he wanted. Hands curled in her hair and he was kissing her just like Misa. It was, well, not revolting. Odd, as kisses always were to Light. But not unpleasant. He tasted sweet.

Light hesitantly responded.

Pleasant. Nothing to write lurid novels about. But she could at least relax in this kiss.

It was quite complicated growing up as she did. Some might even blame her upbringing on her feelings towards romance and sexual matters. A deeper part of Light told her otherwise. This was something she was born with, something that made her integrally different. While she would occasionally ponder a fantasy in which she could be the woman she was born to be, find a man of wit to challenge her to the end of her days...passion never entered the picture.

Boys and girls thought about others. Wanted to kiss and experiment with sex. Wanted that storybook ever after with three kids and a skilled lover. For her, arousal was more of an annoyance than anything else, a reminder that she could never have a partner even if she wanted one. Not that she wanted one. Not even now.

At least she could pretend for a minute. Believe that she was engaged with a man she loved, who knew she was a woman. It was nice to fantasize.

Until that adventurous hand traveled a bit too far south.

Light broke the kiss with a gasp, "Don't."

Ryuuzaki plucked at the buckle again with one finger, "Why not? The only time when Light is honest is when he is silent. This seems to garner the truth quite efficiently."

"I don't...I don't want that."

L tugged the blindfold away from Light's face. Their eyes met. The dark aura that clung to L had faded, returning the strange, bedraggled detective to his usual self. He stared in a lost sort of way down at Light.

"So this is Light's secret? He is homosexual?" Ryuuzaki seemed doubtful for some reason. That damned hand slipped to an even more inappropriate place. She yelped and kneed the pervert in the thigh. His hand didn't move. "Or is Light impotent? Murder is quite the overcompensation."

"I'M NOT IMPOTENT! YOU PERVERT! Now move your hand."

"Like this?"

"For the love of god, let go of that."

For once, Ryuuzaki listened. He still looked confused. The gears in that genius mind of his were turning. Light didn't like this. A curious Ryuuzaki might be as dangerous as an angry L.

"Light is showing all of the signs of arousal," Ryuuzaki stated unexpectedly. "Dilated eyes, increased respiration, discoloration...except one is missing. Quite odd."

"Just because I don't pop a stiffy when I kiss someone doesn't mean-"

Those lips were on hers again. What was his problem? One minute he was interrogating her, determined to prove she was Kira. Now he was trying to prove that she was not only gay but impotent. This was not how she pictured her day going in the least. At least he was a nice kisser. Didn't slobber all over her face. Didn't bite. And that fucker had better not have his hand where she thought he did.

L had somehow untucked her button up and had his palm flat agains her belly. Touchy-feely freak. She broke the kiss, only to have him pull her back into a slow, meandering exploration.

For someone who was certain she was Kira, he didn't seem to have many qualms kissing her. Or groping her. Did he just like the prospect of getting into a serial killer's pants in order to get a confession? A fantasy like that would go along swimmingly with the handcuff fetish.

WOAH! Bad touch. No!

Light lurched up and bit at Ryuuzaki's face. His eyes widened.

They stared at each other like two owls might.

"Get your hand out of my pants," she growled.

"Light?"

"If you don't remove your hand from where it doesn't belong, I will find a way to kill you, so help me..."

Light choked on her indignation when the bastard did the exact opposite. He looked like a child in a candy shop, amazed and confused. More angry at the fact that the presumptuous ass was playing with something that didn't belong to him than the actual fact that he touched her there in the first place, Light bashed her skull against his face.

He moved his hand where it belonged.

Ryuuzaki cupped his nose and backed off the bed. He stared at Light for a good minute.

"Light...is a girl?"

"You wanted to know why I was always lying," Light growled. "You got your answer. Now leave me alone."

"I...Light. If I had..."

"Shove it. You don't even know the meaning of sorry. Congratulations, you've managed to ruin my life and any hope I had of protecting my family. In your blind quest to find Kira, you found me instead. You disgust me. You're not justice. You're just as bad as the criminals you claim to punish."

Ryuuzaki took a step back.

He shook his head and somehow, L returned.

"Are you Kira?"

Light didn't even have the force of will to say no. She just curled on her side and willfully ignored the detective. Maybe she could turn this to her advantage. Play the role of hurt female. It would be easy enough. She already felt violated on more than one level. But another part of her protested. She wouldn't lose to L. Kira never lost! Seduce him, Kira cried out. He wouldn't be able to trust his judgment if she brought him into her bed.

Kira and Light were at odds.

"Hope you're happy, L."

She didn't see the devastation warp onto his face as he retreated into another room.

**A/N: (**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not condone L's actions in this chapter. But plot...I do horrible things for plot reasons. This is...kinda mild compared to, yanno, the utter dissections of the main character's father...so yeah.**

**Back to the author's note: +blushes+ I wrote this yesterday, wanting to get a jumpstart on the chapter before I headed off in the morning. So...um...Things got a little out of hand and this scene happened a touch earlier than expected. Sooo, review? I'm off to Disney. See y'all tomorrow.)**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Good news!** For those of you read my notes, I interviewed for an internship this morning...and got it! I'm so excited. Aaand, my trip to Disney was fun. But tiring. And my friend made me try on the girl's princess costumes...And I discovered that I fit into a children's medium dress...it was waaaay short, only going to my knees, but it freakin' fit otherwise. She even braided my hair before she took a picture of me in the rapunzel dress she bullied me into wearing. Friends...

Anywho~

Shout out to UnslightlyDreams, snickermoon814, NATARYA, ObviouslyADeathNoteFan and guest. Thanks for reviewing.

UnsightlyDreams: Hm. Next chapter might make you happy. +winks+ And yes, L is a pervert. Who does try to be a good person and a just person, he just doesn't always know how when dealing with this situation. He will certainly be groping our poor Light more.

**DON'T READ THIS AT WORK. It's more of light stuff like last chappie. Yay innuendo. **

**Fool's Gambit**

**By Catsitta**

13.

"L-light...Ngh! Light!"

Delicate hands danced across untouched skin, nails scraping deliciously at the sensitive skin of his hip. Ryuuzaki wanted those hands to keep moving, to travel lower, to stop teasing him so tortuously! He bucked shamelessly as soft lips trailed along the curve of his abdomen, and grabbed a handful of that sinfully perfect hair, it was like silk.

"What do you want?" purred his wanton lover. Ryuuzaki peered down at the angelic face staring up at him, lust coloring porcelain skin a rosy hue.

"Light. I want Light."

"Do you now?"

The teen stood and shucked the white button up he wore onto the floor. Ryuuzaki could see every rippling muscle, savored the tight, flat abdominals and flexing pectorals. He wanted to touch that trim waist and pull Light onto his lap.

"Can I tell you a secret?"

Ryuuzaki nodded, ogling the handsome genius gazing at him with bedroom eyes. Suddenly, Light was behind him, auburn hair falling in just a slightly different manner, the hard planes of his body replaced by softness. Curves. He turned. She was beautiful. Toned, athletic, with that same trim waist and flat stomach. Broad shoulders with slim hips. Small handfuls for breasts.

She was Light. Same face, same arrogance, same intelligence. In those tawny eyes full of secrets he saw the truth. This was Kira. She was Kira. His match, his equal, his rival. Razor wit paired with a temper that aroused the sleeping predator within him. She was dangerous. Lethal. Light knew how to play the game and win.

Years posing as a man, sharpening her mind into the keenest of blades. Manipulative. Desperate. Why did Ryuuzaki want her?

No...

Why did he need her?

She straddled his lap, bare chests pressing together like puzzle pieces. Male or female, Ryuuzaki didn't care. He wanted Light. He needed Light. His world would be dark without Light.

Poison.

She was the sweetest of poisons.

Like spiked wine he'd willingly imbibe for the ten seconds of ecstasy.

"L...did you know..." Light whispered. "...gods of death...love apples."

What?

Light presented him with an apple, bright and red and forbidden. Like the biblical Eve, she looked upon its ripe flesh with innocence. Then her eyes changed. White teeth ripped into the fruit.

Her kiss tasted of death's promise.

.

Ryuuzaki blinked awake and pushed himself up onto his elbows. He'd fallen asleep at his computer station. Black eyes traveled towards the screens. Misa Amane struggled in her restraints tiredly. After almost a week in confinement, it made sense that she was getting weary. Though he was surprised that she didn't break.

He flicked his gaze to another screen.

Light laid curled on her side, hair sticking damply to her face. She was dressed same as always. Button ups and slacks, though he could see the swell of breasts beneath the folds of the her shirt. The teen had removed her binding bandages today. She did that sometimes. Yesterday, they were tied tight. They had not spoken since the startling reveal. Watari uncuffed her and kept Light supplied with what she needed. It disturbed him how quiet she had become, how reserved. Where was the fire from before? Had he...had he accidentally cracked a piece of the puzzle in his attempt to force all the shapes into place. He knew Light was Kira. But he had no proof and Light would never confess.

A slim finger depressed the talk button.

"Miss Amane, would you like to confess?"

The blonde shook her head vigorously. He could see her mouth straining around the gag and tears slipping from beneath the mask. A full body bind was in place to prevent more murders. And it was working. No Kira related deaths had occurred since the confinement of Misa and Light. He could not leave all of these questions unanswered, however. He needed to know how Kira killed!

"Misa must be lonely, would she like company?"

Again, she shook her head.

"Not even Light's?"

The girl perked up and nodded. She seemed hopeful.

He pressed the button below the one he had touched previously, "Light, I request your assistance. If Light would like to prove his innocence in the Kira case, then he will will agree to speak with Miss Amane...in person."

The auburn teen scowled at the camera but nodded, a single, slow tilt of the chin. She slipped off the bed and into the bathroom. Ryuuzaki respectfully turned his eyes away from the monitor. The new cameras were installed when he was determined to prove Kira's guilt after Light's short conversation with Misa. He never expected that evening for those screens to reveal...so much.

Normally he was unbothered by other's nudity. Naked bodies were just that, skin over the same muscles and bones. Some possessed differing genitalia. Some were thin, others fat, some were beautiful and others plain. But they were human. Unimportant and uninteresting beyond his professional scope. When it came to Light, he was highly tempted to leer, regardless of which bits and pieces she possessed. The power of the mind was a sensual thing. It made the weak package of flesh oddly alluring.

"Watari," Ryuuzaki said, leaning back in his chair and picking up a half-eaten slice of chocolate cake. "Fetch Light in fifteen minutes. Take him to Miss Amane. This case is solved, but the evidence is highly circumstantial."

"You believe they will reveal their secret?"

"No," he grumbled over a mouth full of cake. "But there is an 87% chance that the game will change."

The older gentleman, in his usual attire, placed a tea tray by Ryuuzaki's computers. "Game?"

"Yes. This is a game of wits between Kira and I. We're at a stalemate. Thus, I am giving him a chance to change the game, expose his fatal flaw."

"You should arrest them, not allow more people to die, Ryuuzaki."

His lips curved, "Is it wrong of me to say that I don't mind?" Watari didn't respond. "I believe it is time to fetch Light."

The elder bowed respectfully and turned, though his doubt was written plain. He was L's mentor, practically an adoptive father to the orphaned genius. Watari watched over the boy through his many years of training, careful to keep an extra eye on this particular ward, who out of all the Whammy House children, was the brightest but most shy.

"I do not like this, Ryuuzaki."

He was met with silence.

.

Light followed Watari quietly, eyes flicking from every winking camera and dimmed light. Her arms were unbound, but the butler was in the employ of L, so she doubted he would be a push over should she feel a reason to bolt. The flighty part of her instincts leapt at the prospect of freedom from this whole mess, but Kira pushed back, demanding that she win this war of wits. L made a mistake. This move to make her expose them both as Kira would fail. Because she had a plan.

A plan she had been formulating since Ryuuzaki left her three days ago.

Head bowed, she kept her body language submissive, not wanting to give her plan away. Play hurt, she told herself. Manipulate L's emotions. His weakness. If she could get him to come to her again...

"Miss Amane, you have company," Watari said, guiding Light into the room and closing the electronic door between them. She could see dozens of cameras in the shadowed room. At the heart was the fabulous Misa Misa, bound to a chair, gagged and blindfolded. She looked like an insane asylum patient.

Acting concerned, Light hurried to her side and removed the gag.

"Ah! Who is this?"

"It's me," she said.

"Oh. Oh Light! You came for me. Did...did he capture you too?"

Light shifted so that her cheek was pressed against Misa's her hair hiding Light's face from the cameras. It would appear to be a gentle embrace by an observer.

"No Misa. He doesn't know who I am. He thinks we're school mates and can use me to trick you into a confession," she whispered in a voice no louder than a breath. "Listen to me, Misa, if you want to leave here...listen to Kira. Do what I say. Everything."

"Y-yes. Anything."

Oh god, the girl sounded lovestruck. It was sickening. At least she was tied up and couldn't molest her.

"Good. Now, just nod. Don't speak unless I ask you. Is your shinigami here?"

A nod.

"I need you to give up that which gives you Kira's power," Light murmured. "And shinigami, I need you to listen. Is it listening, Misa?"

Another nod.

"When Misa next says the words, 'I give it up', take it away and give it to someone who believes in Kira's justice. Make sure he knows that this is the will of the god Kira. He needs to be just, and only kill criminals. Will you do this, shinigami?"

There was a pause, then slowly, Misa nodded.

"Now, follow my lead Misa. I promise that I will have you safe and by my side as queen."

Light pulled away, smiling at the blonde affectionately.

"Come now Misa, just confess to being Kira. We have the evidence to prove it..."

The blond pouted, "No. I won't, because I'm not Kira."

Light stroked the back of her hand down the side of Misa's face, curled a few fingers loose strands of hair. The girl shivered, thrusting herself against the teen's touch with devout eagerness. Remembering her plan, Light pushed back all thoughts of revulsion from her head and leaned in close, lips a fraction's breadth from Misa's. She slid one of her hands over a shoulder, the down to caress the clothed swell of Misa's breast. Her thumb circled the curve she found and she listened to the blonde gasp. Like clay in the hands of god.

"So prideful, wouldn't be easier to just...give in?"

"Y-yes...I...Yes. Take it. I give it up. Use me..."

Light could see the shudder of Misa's memories fading, the forfeited ownership of the Death Note stealing with it all notions of Kira and his justice. Not knowing how obvious the memory blank would be, she promptly did her best to fill in the gaps with something the brain could process.

A kiss.

She even poured every inch of passion and skill she could muster into it. Palmed the supple body beneath her. One would think Light desired this wench, but it was a decidedly revolting exchange. Part of her hated Misa. She wanted nothing to do with this idiot. But lasciviousness could be faked.

"Will Light please cease to accost the prisoner?"

Their lips parted wetly and Misa sighed. Then, she blinked widely up at the bright light shining down upon her from above.

"Mister Stalker, I...I'll do whatever you want. Just let Light go, please!"

Well this was an interesting turn around. Light remained quiet, curious what L would do.

.

Stalker? Where did this come from? Misa knew she was a suspect for the Kira case, what happened to change that? Ryuuzaki bit down on his thumb. He hadn't removed it since Light entered the room. Damn him. He only had snippets of words that his bugs caught and the cameras failed to get a clear read on Light's lips. But it was plain enough to see that the Misa he had in confinement was not the same Misa he captured. Somewhere around that kiss, something changed. Something big.

He took a chance and he'd deal with the cards in his hand. It was a risky ploy, and he refused to falter. He'd make this work somehow. They messed up...they had to have.

Ryuuzaki pressed the speak button.

"Miss Amane, do you know why you are here?"

The blonde nodded, though she seemed visibly more distressed than before, "Duh. You're a pervert stalker who kidnapped me and my boyfriend. I'm not sure why. You never told me...just, please, let Light go. Misa will stay with Mister Stalker if he wants. I...I'll even let him w-watch me shower. Isn't that what you want? Y-ou sick freak!"

This was going nowhere. Even Misa's acting skills were not that good. And Light's silence confirmed his suspicions. Misa no longer recalled being second Kira. There was no use in keeping on with the interrogation.

"It seems you have lost your memories, Miss Amane. And thus, are of no use to this case. Your boyfriend, will return to his room. You will be provided with other accommodations."

"W-what?"

Light's jaw twitched at that. Maybe he could still force Light into exposing his methods.

He moved his hand and turned to Watari, "Escort Miss Amane to HQ. She will be quite comfortable on the 22nd floor. As for Light, we will move him in the morning. For now, he can stay in his usual place here."

The elder nodded and hurried off.

Ryuuzaki gazed back at the screen. Light was staring at one of the cameras. His gut wrenched with anger and...jealousy? He promptly unwrapped a lolipop and stuck it between his teeth. Round to Light. Tonight, however, he would get his answers.

Three days of silence was long enough.

-tbc-

**A/N: (Hm. This story has more yuri than intended. I've never written fxf before...Whoops. And what will happen now that Misa doesn't have her memories? Anywho, remember to review!)**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:** Um. Well. I hit a tiny writers block moment...then the characters hijacked the storyline. I'll get them back on track, but um...This wasn't what I had originally planned out. For you romance lovers, I apologize. It will come along soon...If L has his way with things. These two are just so toxic together. +pouts+

Shoutout to NATARYA and m.z.

NATARYA: Weeeelll, the rating miiight be upped. It depends on how fast our favorite pervert salvages the situation.

m.z: L does feel guilty. He's just stunted emotionally and doesn't always react in the most appropriate of ways. He's confused by his duty, these new feelings of lust and the latest turn of events. He isn't quite sure how to process it all and the end result is an odd overlapping of everything.

**+Pokes at UnsightlyDreams+ **There is a bit in the first part of this chapter I dedicate to you. You'll recognize it. This is why I love reviewers who add in little theories and such, makes for fun fodder when I'm writing without an outline.

**Fool's Gambit**

**By Catsitta**

14.

"What did Light do?"

Tawny eyes never strayed from neatly trimmed nails. She would not falter. L gave Kira a chance to strike and she did. The detective would soon be thrown another loop. He would have to admit that he had no evidence, circumstantial or elsewise, to convict Light. It was perfect.

"I have no idea what you mean, Ryuuzaki."

A hand closed around her wrist. Light pulled away, standing. This was their usual battleground. The overdone bedroom with its ostentatious cry of conspicuous consumption. She wore her armor, the male facade that her enemy knew was just a shell, a means of survival.

"Miss Amane no longer possesses her memories," he droned. "Light seems unsurprised by the fact. Challenging. I can only conclude he had a hand in it."

She gifted him with an ugly smirk, "Oh, I don't believe it was my hands that have you in here."

"Light should be careful with his words."

"And my lips?" Light added. "I've had enough...lovers, to know jealousy when I see it." It was a bit of an exaggeration. She had enough stalkers to know what jealousy was, and envy often proved a dangerous thing. People would kill in its haze. It boggled the mind, made the senses numb. Even the brightest of minds fell victim to its toxin.

Ryuuzaki grimaced at the implication.

"Light is cruel."

"I'm not the one who forced myself on an unwilling person."

"I think Light prefers my way."

She crossed her arms, "How does the infamous L come to that conclusion?"

The air thickened in a heartbeat, those dead eyes hot with lurid want. Light felt her stomach flip and swallowed. She did not move as the detective slouched closer, hands buried in his pockets. He quirked his head to the side, fork-in-power-socket hair falling in a careless manner. He was not handsome. Ryuuzaki was creepy, ruffled and disturbing. If anything, he looked every bit an anemic, insomniac mad genius. But he made her think, feel...react. Ryuuzaki made the numbness and boredom go away.

"There is a 98% chance that Light prefers my kisses to Miss Amane's...a 93% chance that Light is aroused by our confrontations...an 82% chance that Light instigated this fight for the former reason mentioned...and a 75% chance that if I were to make sexual advances, Light would reciprocate. This is what I know as fact."

THWACK!

Ryuuzaki blinked and pressed his fingers to the red hand print adorning his cheek. Light typically threw punches. A slap, however, was rather satisfying.

"You are pulling those percentages out of your ass."

"Light's violent reaction raised the percentages by .5%."

"Pervert! You're no better than the...the rapists you arrested."

THAT got a reaction. Ryuuzaki stepped back, flinching from her words more violently than any of her previous punches. Of course the man would not like being called out on his actions. He was just as prideful as she, so certain that he was acting in the greater good. Light felt a twinge of sympathy, but Kira frothed at the vulnerability. It would be so easy to take advantage of him, to seduce him, to force him to free her from this case.

Light sniffed. Maybe she could muster some tears if needed.

With a voice that warbled just a hint, no longer pitched low to emulate a man's, she put her plan in motion. "You don't get it," she said. "You'll never understand what it's like to be a woman in this country. You'll never understand what it's like to pretend every day to be something your not. You don't look over your shoulder for enforcers or stare in the mirror every morning for fifteen minutes to make sure that your disguise is perfect. You aren't haunted by existence! You don't have a family who you can no longer protect. You aren't the one whose whole world was destroyed by some pervert with a complex! So what if I didn't fight you off when you kissed me? I can't determine if you'll send me to my death for turning you away...or if you'll take what you want regardless of my choice. You've already proven that you have no qualms when it comes to...touching me without my consent. What's stopping you from doing more? It's in my best interest to keep you happy, Ryuuzaki, as much as it pains me...Just know that if you...you...fuck me, that it will be rape."

Ryuuzaki's face went blank. Utterly expressionless.

Point two for Kira...

"I see."

Instead of arguing back or tossing more percentages her way, Ryuuzaki turned and walked out. The door shut quietly behind him. Light stared at it. Wait. That wasn't how it was supposed to happen!

.

Light did not expect to see Ryuuzaki for days. Thus it came as a surprise when the door bounced open in the middle of the night, forcing her from the depths of sleep. Blearily, she blinked away the drowsiness and focused on the hazy shape charging into the room. Light made to stand up, but she was grabbed and pulled to her feet. This manhandling was quite familiar.

"What the hell! It's the middle of the ni-IGHT!"

Ryuuzaki picked her up under one arm like a parent might a child. It still startled her whenever the scrawny genius proved exactly how strong he was despite his appearance.

"PUT ME DOWN!"

Silence.

She wriggled and beat at him with the balls of her fists. He kept walking. Despite her protests, Ryuuzaki hauled her through the hotel, adjusting her now and then when she wriggled too much. A few minutes later, she was shoved into the back of an unfamiliar car and Ryuuzaki slid in beside her.

"What in the world are you doing?"

"Taking Kira to his execution."

"WHAT!"

"Do be quiet. I have a head ache."

"This is all because I called you out, isn't it? You really are a sad bast-"

A hand buried into her hair and their lips crashed together. Light twisted away, not liking this turn of events.

"Let me go!"

"No."

It was a fight for dominance that ensued. Hands circled limbs, fingers digging into flesh. Legs tangled and teeth clashed. Light was fighting for her life. She knew it. But she wasn't sure how to win. All she knew was that, in the end, it was her pinning him to the leather seat, her forearm pressed harshly to the column of his throat, cutting off air. Her other hand gripped that tangled rats nest he called hair. They were panting, sweating and glaring hatefully at each other in the dark.

Neither of them had noticed that the car was in motion.

"Do it Kira. K-kill me."

Light put more of her weight onto L's throat, choking him into silence. His head fell back in compliance. This was the first time he had ever been at her mercy.

"How many times do I have to say it, I'm not Kira!"

"L-liar."

"I guess it doesn't matter. The great L has decided my guilt. I'm dead at your petty whim." Light leaned back, releasing the detective with a snort of disgust. "Dead because I don't want to sleep with you."

Ryuuzaki drew in a ragged breath and sat up slowly, "No. Dead because heart attacks have skyrocketed ever since Light spoke to Miss Amane."

"What?"

"Kira is killing."

"I'm not Kira!"

"Maybe not at this moment, but Light was Kira. Light could still become Kira again." This time, Light threw a punch instead of a slap. Ryuuzaki kicked her across the backseat and she cracked her head against the glass. Her vision blurred. "Stop lying Light. Tell me how this Kira is killing and I will make a compromise with Light. If he doesn't, I will make sure he is executed alongside Miss Amane."

"You'll kill two innocents? That's sick, even for you."

Shouting caused Light's head to swim. Did she have a concussion of all things? She cradled her aching skull, back pressed to the car door. Absently, she searched behind her with one hand, fingers closing around the handle. One small pull and...

Ryuuzaki jerked her onto his lap.

"No jumping into traffic," he said.

"Why would you care if I did?"

"I don't want Light to die," Ryuuzaki murmured. "But he is forcing me to take action."

A small part of Light began to sob in fear. She didn't want to die. She just wanted this nightmare to end. Stupid, forsaken Death Note. Tawny eyes drank in the flickering shadows, Ryuuzaki's stoic face caught in the passing bands of glowing street lamps. Kira howled for action. Light shivered. Ryuuk laughed. The shinigami crouched behind L, wicked grin wide with manic joy.

_"__Oh, this is just too interesting, Light,"_ the Death God rasped. _"Are you sure you don't want to make the eye deal? You would know his name."_

Light shook her head, just marginally.

_"__Pity...And here I am with this convenient Death Note. Such a shame for it to sit in your desk, unusable. Tell me Light, do you want it?"_

"Keep it," she mumured.

_"_Keep what, Light?" Ryuuzaki frowned and looked over his shoulder. "What is Light looking at?"

_"__Keep it? Are you giving up ownership Light? How boring. I couldn't part with my favorite human for so long. Hm. But this could be interesting. Hyuk. Hyuk. Quite the predicament you're in."_

"I...I give it up," Light said softly. She closed her eyes and twisted out of Ryuuzaki's grip. Her hand closed on the handle. The detective leapt to stop her. Surprisingly, it opened.

It all happened in a second.

Light jumped. Ryuuzaki shouted. Ryuuk cackled.

In a screech of tired and wail of horns, Light's vision went black.

But this time, it was only for a second.

Inhaling sharply, she was yanked back into reality by two strong arms.

.

"Light! Look at me Light."

She blinked. That voice was quite familiar. Ah yes, black eyes and shoeless feet. They met shortly after Kira started killing. But...why were they in a car? She flushes as fuzzy memories filtered in. They...kissed? A few times. They fought quite a bit. But why? Misa. She kissed Misa, who thought she was a boy. Ryuuzaki knew she wasn't a boy. God, her head hurt.

"W-what is going on?"

"Light tried to jump out of a moving vehicle to escape his execution."

_I'm not Kira!_

"Because I'm...I'm scared! I'm not Kira and you want me dead."

Dead eyes glimmered in the dark.

"No...you're not Kira, are you?" he leaned in. "Just like Misa..." There was a strange, calculated expression on the detective's face. "You need medical attention. We will be arriving at HQ in five minutes." The door shut and Ryuuzaki knocked on the roof with his knuckles. The car jerked back into motion.

"M-medical attention? The execution..."

Ryuuzaki's grip on Light tightened painfully, but his gaze was lightyears away.

"A fool's gambit," he grumbled. "An attempt at a confession. Now I have no means of learning how Kira kills because of my own impulsiveness."

"How would I know how Kira kills?"

"Be quiet, Light. You need rest."

"You can't just shush me like I'm a child!"

"You are a child."  
"Fuck you!" she elbowed him in the ribs and tried to free herself from his grip.

"Don't make offers you can't follow through on," he threatened back. She fell still. Ryuuzaki dragged her back onto his lap and soon, there was the rattle of metal.

"Handcuffs again?"

"From this minute on, Light is under 24-hour surveillance."

"Let me off your lap."

"No. This is Light's punishment for trying to jump out of a moving car. For acting like a child, he will be treated like one."

"Then that makes you a pedophile!" Light snapped back, acutely aware of what was pressing against the small of her back. "Pervert." She made to struggle, but Ryuuzaki's free hand was like lightning. Flushing, she went still.

"It seems that this is still the only way to make Light quiet," he remarked dryly.

"Stop it. Move your hand out of my-Aiee! Pervert!"

"Keep pushing and I'll do the same. I've always wondered what would strike Light down from his pedestal, make him beg. I'd rather our first time together be consensual..."

Light paled.

"That's...you would never..."

"According to Light, I would."

The car idled to a stop. They were at their destination. Ryuuzaki's hand slipped out of Light's slacks, and he picked her up off of his lap. Watari opened the car door and peered inside, clearly worried.

"Light has a possible concussion, please examine him once we reach our quarters."

When Light stumbled, exiting the car, Ryuuzaki picked her up again. This time more gently.

"We will begin the Kira case anew in the morning."

The old man frowned, "What happened?"

"I made a mistake. Now the case has taken a step backwards. Please, don't pry right now. I'll elaborate after Light has been seen to and put to bed."

The chain jingled like the solemn bells of a death march.

tbc

**A/N: (Um...Hm. That took a turn even I wasn't expecting. Then again, I am an angst writer. The mood was too, eh, light? Bad pun. Anywho, thoughts? Reviews are wonderful cookies. )**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: **Just as a warning. I hit a wall about halfway through this chapter. Writers block is a killer. But, since it is the nature of this challenge to write and keep writing daily, no matter what ends up on the page, I reluctantly present this...transitional chapter. Enjoy some humor. We'll be taking the winding road from here on out. Also, we're at the halfway point!

One more note, I'm thinking of making a sequel to this story. It may be a short story, or another challenge fic like this, not sure yet. But I'm working with the tentative title of 'House of Cards'. It will be for those of you you want the "extended ending". And judging by the connecting I've been doing, it'll be closer to an M rating than this fic. And shorter. Probably shorter. Anywho~That's still up in the air.

Shout out to snickermoon814, NATARYA, UnsightlyDreams and LadyTeldra for your reviews!

LadyTeldra: You read my mind. That little piece of paper has a purpose. ^_^ But what shall it be?

**Fool's Gambit**

**By Catsitta**

15.

"I need to talk to Watari."

Ryuuzaki looked up from his laptop. The device was perched on his bent knees as he sat in an oversized armchair next to his—now Light's—bed. For the past 24 hours, Light had been on concussion watch, and the insomniac had no problem waking the teen every hour, despite her protests. In fact, right now, he had to admit a smug glee. With this chain, there was nothing Light would do to get away or force him away. Even if they killed each other, she was stuck to him.

However, there was one problem. Bathroom privacy. Light demanded it with a kind of vocalness normally reserved for caterwauling felines in the midst of mating season. Ryuuzaki was now sporting a bruised lip from that argument.

"If Light needs something, he can ask me," Ryuuzaki said, not quite sure why Light was coloring that shade of pink. "Light forsook his privacy when he tried to jump out of a moving car. He had best become used to making requests through me."

"No."

"Then Watari cannot help Light." He returned to his laptop. A few clicks into a report, a pillow flew at his head. Ryuuzaki ducked. Just barely. "How mature..."

"Says the brat who subsides on enough sugar to put a normal human being into a diabetic coma."

"If Light would simply tell me what he wants..."

"Chips. I want barbecue chips."

The detective raised a brow, "An unexpected request from someone who eats as Light does. But why would he wish to speak with my envoy directly on this matter?"

Light's blush darkened and she tugged at the wrinkled sleeve of her dress shirt. "I need...other things. Just, please, let me talk to him."

Dead eyes appraised the shy teen with curiosity. Light was always so confident and demanding. Now, she seemed flustered for some inexplicable reason.

"Very well, I will concede on this matter." Ryuuzaki pulled out his cell phone and called for Watari's assistance. As he snapped the device shut, he noticed the relief on Light's face...her paler than usual face. He frowned. Light didn't look quite herself. There was a dryness to lips and a slight puffiness to her eyes. Light's shoulders were even curled in instead of proudly erect. Was she ill? "Does Light need...further medical attention. Perhaps his head injury pains him still?"

"I'm fine. Just, I want a shower."

"Light refused one earlier."

"Because you wanted to follow me, you pervert," she groused.

"As I stated earlier, Light us on 24-hour surveillance," he replied. "And it's not like I haven't seen it all before. Light don't honestly think that he was left unobserved in the bathroom after his initial exchange with Miss Amane?"

"Y-you watched me shower?"

"Among other things, yes. It's just skin, Light. And he has nothing to be ashamed of-"

Light jerked the chain between them violently, forcing Ryuuzaki to jump from his seat, laptop caught by the edge in one hand. He pulled back weakly, but the teen was clearly seeing red.

"I HATE YOU, YOU PERVERT!"

Before she could do any further damage, Watari entered the room, poised and polished as always. Abruptly, Light ceased in her attempts to break Ryuuzaki's wrist. With a final glare over her shoulder, she said, "I'll kill you later." Then she huddled up to the elderly man and murmured into his ear. It was a list, judging by the way Watari pulled a small notepad from his jacket and began to scribble down items.

"Would you like me to bring some raspberry leaf tea for in the meantime?" he said. Light pulled away and nodded. "Very well, I have some of the items you requested on hand for Miss Amane's needs. I will bring them up with the tea."

"Thank you."

Apparently, those spotless manners were reserved for everyone but Ryuuzaki.

"Why the secrecy?" he asked as soon as Watari left.

"Because it's none of your business!"

Light slumped onto the bed and began to nibble on the small bowl of candies Ryuuzaki kept on the side table for snacking purposes. She hated sweets. But here she was, chewing on carmel toffees as if they were her usual favors.

Appeased by the fact that she was no longer trying to break his arm, the detective returned to his chair and his research. He became so absorbed in it, that he did not notice his partner's return until the elderly man left again. He glanced up to see a tray of steaming tea with a bag of chips laid beside his scones. Light was quick to break open the bag and devour the salty snack with a questionable moan of delight. It made him uncomfortable.

Ryuuzaki was just taking his first sip of sweetened tea when Light finished her chips and special brew and began to tug at the chain meaningfully

"I want a shower."

"Light has stated this many times."

"I...please, just, I need to shower alone."

"No, Light."

"Blindfold?"

"How am I supposed to observe Light if I am blindfolded?"

She scowled at him, her mind clearly awhirl. Then she smiled, a venomous smile.

"Fine."

"Compliance?"

"Sure. Whatever. Watari even brought me a change of clothes. It'll be nice to be nice and clean again."

"If Light wishes, he can request...different clothing."

Light, who was now attempting to drag Ryuuzaki into the bathroom instead of beating him with the nearest table lamp, quirked her head to the side. "Why would I do that?"

"It is quite obvious that Light does not identify as male, though he prefers to maintain the illusion of such. Perhaps Light would like garments more suitable to his gender?"

"I've never worn a skirt in my life, I don't see a need to start now," she said shortly, though there was hesitance in her eyes. A kind of childish want. Ryuuzaki wasn't the world's top three detective's for no reason. He could read people. He could figure out their motivations. And Light would revel a chance to wear a sundress, if only in the privacy of her bedroom, her only company the mirror on the wall. She desired to grasp at a tiny part of her femininity, to prove to herself that she was a woman, despite her every attempt to emulate a man for the sake of society's decree.

Not that she needed a skirt, or heels or make-up to be a woman. Those things were irrelevant. But Ryuuzaki could see it. Light wanted what she could not have, a chance to be something she never had a chance to be.

But she would deny herself to save face.

There was too much pride.

"Are you going to let me take a shower, or not?"

The detective bowed his head and followed.

.

"Why didn't Light say anything?"

"Because it was none of your business you nosy pervert."

"I'm traumatized for life."

"Serves you right."

"I do have question."

"Oh?"

"Why do women use these contraptions? I assume their use judging by the instructions on the box, but they cannot possibly be comfortable to insert in your-"

"PUT THAT DOWN!"

"Why? It's rather interesting."

SMACK!

.

As was the nature of the universe, time passed.

.

It took a while to get used to living with another person in such close quarters for an extended period of time. Ryuuzaki rarely slept and Light became irritable without sleep. The detective needed to work on the case and Light wanted to help, but L's insistence that Light was Kira made that impossible. They argued constantly. But after the first half dozen fights, the desire to punch Ryuuzaki's face in faded. There was no point. Neither of them were willing to budge.

It was strange, surreal even, but as the days trickled into weeks and the Kira killings climbed skyward, Light found herself wishing that this was just a bad dream. It didn't feel real. This couldn't be reality. She was not Kira, never had been. But now she watched helplessly as the deaths continued and L's eyes kept on her, as if she held all the answers.

"I want a shower," Light said, as she always did in the evenings when L's investigating team went home and her only stimulation was the ever present tapping of the key board.

"Very well."

Ryuuzaki closed his laptop. Black eyes met tawny for the countless time. Light thought about the past month. The kidnapping, the accusations and the kisses. Ever since he tried to force a confession from her in the car, there was a distinct layer of tension between them. Despite his wandering gaze that shamelessly drank in her most private moments, he rarely touched. As if he expected Light to break if he did.

Light colored slightly. Why wouldn't he believe her innocent? She wasn't Kira!

Absently, her hand trailed to her slack's pocket, where a small, torn piece of paper stayed. She was not sure why, but the wrinkled scrap brought comfort when her fingers brushed against it. As if it were a lifeline of some kind. Each time Light changed clothes, she palmed the paper and made sure it stayed on her person. A habit she never realized she was forming until a couple days ago.

"Is Light unwell?"

"I'm fine."

As they entered the bathroom, caught in the quiet eye of the storm, neither of them were prepared for what came next.

Their quiet sanctuary collapsed.

Literally.

tbc

**A/N: (A turning point. Thoughts? Comments? Crazy theories about what just happened? Review! See y'all tomorrow.)**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: **Aaaand, the end? Nah. We're just past the midway point. Gotta keep moving along. Shout out to m.z, ubermarine, and LadyTeldra. I love reviewers! Like it, love it, hate it? Lemme know folks. Woot.

m.z:+pokes back+ L isn't a complete asshat. Always. And I admit that I laughed my way through the anime whenever Light got all megalomaniac dramatic. It's why I've been poking fun at the pen scene and more recently, the potato chip scene. So overly out there. And a big part of this story concept is the concept of morality and justice. In the canon universe, both sides can be seen, but Light is vilified due to his god complex and tendency to off anyone in his way. I wanted to see how the characters (and readers) would react to a more grey situation, where there is less black-and-white lines drawn. Light isn't evil, just desperate and holding onto a great amount of power, and as they say, absolute power corrupts absolutely. And L is colored a little darker than before. He wasn't really /good/ to begin with. Psychological torture was kinda his schtick. I just played it up some and made him a little more self aware. ^_^ I like your reviews. Helps me think of ways to keep my characters on track.

ubermarine: I keep wanting to spell your name ultramarine, like the color. Anyway, your rather morbid guess wasn't too far off.

LadyTeldra: I love cliffies. They're my specialty. Haha. Y'all are lucky that I've writing in this drabble style and not my usual. Otherwise, there would be a lot more cliff and lead ins that leave you hanging. Anywho...I'll give you a hint. +boom+

**Fool's Gambit**

**By Catsitta**

16.

"Wake up! C'mon, Ryuuzaki, you have to wake up...Damnit. No dying on me now you pervert!"

Pain. She knew little more than pain. There was blood everywhere. On the floor, on the walls, on their clothes and skin. Light trembled, scarcely able to maintain her own consciousness. They had to get out. She could smell the smoke. Hear voices. Her vision blurred, the world tilted on its axil.

"Please...wake...up," she curled her fingers in Ryuuzaki's shirt, desperate to wake him. He couldn't be dead. He just couldn't be.

It did not matter that his arm was bent strangely, or that his black hair was caked to a bleeding scalp.

Tawny eyes flicked around the ruins. They were at least a floor or more lower than minutes before, their surroundings a wrecked mass of bent beams and shattered concrete. This was a planned attack. Certain floors were targeted instead of a mass demolition. Perhaps by the tiniest stroke of luck, the roof did not fall in on top of them, instead they fell through. Looking above, she could see the building straining to shatter, to collapse in it entirety.

If they did not get out, they were dead. They would be crushed.

"Wake up!" Light felt tears prick at her eyes. "I-if you don't wake up now, I'll...I'll kill you! I swear it. You'll die by eating your damned vegetables. Oh god please...no. No."

CRACK!

Light gasped as one of the support beams began to snap. The building shuddered. She wrapped her arms around Ryuuzaki and pulled. He was heavy for sack of skin-and-bones. Or perhaps that was the blood loss talking.

She stumbled, legs buckling.

Was this really how she was going to die?

_Now what would be the fun in that?_

From the shadows, a monstrous shape emerged, wings of night spread as it flew above, laughing madly.

_This isn't your day to die, Light Yagami. I would know._

It winked out of existence as quickly as it came.

Ryuuzaki groaned. He was alive. Light felt her heart skip even faster. "Ryuuzaki, we need to get out of here." He slowly opened dead eyes and stared up at her.

"Is this death?"

"It will be if we don't get out of here soon."

"Oh dear. We're in a bit of a mess..."

"Get up!"

"I don't believe I can. What a predicament."

"We're going to die."

"Yes. That does seem inevitable."

"How can you be so calm right now?!"

"Head trauma." He tapped the side of his skull with his uninjured hand. "Now, I do believe I have a contingency plan for such an occurrence."

Light frowned, "For the collapse of a skyscraper?"

"This building is designed with bombs in mind, Light. I'm quite aware of my enemies and their preferences." He shifted. "I do believe I hear company. Help me sit up, Light."

Not sure what else to do, she pulled him into a sitting position amongst the debris.

"Now, until help arrives, we must remain alive. Which, in about ten minutes, given the structural damage done, will be moot. I'd say run, but..." That forsaken chain rattled between them. A chill ran through her spine as she recalled his previous words. If he died, so did Light. They were bound together.

The pound of boots brought their attention to a gap in the ruin. A hallway littered with twisted metal.

Light's eyes widened when she noticed the familiar black armor. Enforcers. Someone had betrayed them. She shrank back, hands scrabbling for anything that could be used as a weapon.

"Hello men," Ryuuzaki said as those gleaming guns aimed in their direction.

There were three distinct flashes of silver. Guns clattered to the floor. The enforcers slumped to the ground, dead. Embedded in the unarmored strip of throat between the suit and the helmet, were thin, gleaming spikes. Light's eyes widened. In his working hand, Ryuuzaki held the kin of those strange weapons.

"Where did you get those?"

He smirked, "What kind of assassin would L be if he didn't hide his weapon of choice on him at all times...and couldn't handle a few police men while suffering from multiple injuries." Suddenly, he paled and slid partially down the wall he was propped against. Light wrapped her arms around his shoulders, leg throbbing in protest at her crouched position.

"Don't you dare die."

"Never thought Light cared."

"Of course I care," she told him.

"Light should know that he is my first friend."

"I...I think you're mine."

Black eyes slid to the ceiling, "Light think's too much."

"Says Mister must sit this way or my cognitive thinking abilities drop fifteen percent."

"Is it not obvious? If I were sitting properly, I would never speak to glibly."

"Yes you would. That's what people do when they're afraid for their lives."

"Oh?"

"Ever listen to one of those serial dramas on the radio? Or read a book?"

"Light is...quite strange."

CRACK!

Both glanced up. They were running out of time, and neither were in any shape to run. A cool hand wrapped around Light's.

"I believe that this is where the protagonist declares his undying love to the romantic interest of those drama's Light mentioned."

"But you don't love me."

"No. But it's a nice thought...being in love. I'd like to say I was in love before I died."

"You're L."

"Yes. I am L. And letters do not star in lurid romance novels, do they?"

CRACK!

Light coughed. Dust and smoke intermingled in the air, thick and suffocating. They were trapped. She could barely keep awake.

"Light."

"Ryuuzaki."

"Pretend with me," he said. "I'm not L and you're not Kira. We were simply two people who met under the cherry blossom trees by Light's school."

She understood. "I was on my way to exams. And you were just sitting there, strange as could be."

"Light was beautiful. I couldn't keep my eyes off of him."

"I guess I could say I couldn't keep my eyes from you either."

"We spoke, though briefly."

"Then we parted ways. But fate has a way of crossing paths."

"We met again by the fountain. I asked Light's name...asked him to dinner."

"I...I said no. But you were quite persistent. You did everything you could to impress me."

"I was wealthy and intelligent, though I never thought Light could be as vain as to dismiss me on my looks alone."

Light chuckled softly, "I eventually said yes."

"The first date was awkward."

"Yes. Yes it was. I'm not sure why I said yes to a second."

"Or a third?"

"You were a touchy-feely pervert."

"And Light was so shy."

"How did we fall in love?"

"I'm not sure. It happened...quietly. We never noticed until that kiss in the rain."

"The rain? How cliché."

"I was on the roof, listening to the church bells. Wondering...was it a wedding or a funeral."

"You were getting soaked standing out there."

"Yes. But Light joined me."

"So that's love? Standing on the roof, kissing in the rain."

"I think so."

"You think too much."

"So does Light."

"Curse of being geniuses."

CRACK!

A large chunk of debris fell from above, crashing into splinters a few feet from them. Light closed her eyes and Ryuuzaki tightened his hand around hers. Was this it?

WUB. WUB. WUB.

She jerked her head towards the sound of...helicopter blades?

"I believe that my contingency plan has followed through," Ryuuzaki rasped. "Come along, Light."

Slowly, painfully, they helped each other stand and hobble towards a small hole in the wall. A former window that was missing all the glass. It was scarcely big enough for a slimly built individual to crawl through. Peering through the opening, she could see a sleek helicopter hovering nearby, controlled by an unfamiliar woman in a catsuit.

"Wedy," shouted Ryuuzaki. "You're late."

"Hey! I am not. I'm right on time." she motioned to co-pilot, a blond man in a suit, before slipping into the back, throwing open the door and dropping down a harness. "Buckle up, boys. And let's blow this pop stand."

They glanced to each other.

Mirrored in the other's eyes was the distinct knowledge that things had changed.

-tbc-

**A/N: (But what about Misa and Watari? Thoughts, commentary? Thanks for reading, please review!)**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: **I've been spending my weekend doing my summer TV watching grind. I haven't much patience to watch movies or anything anymore, but about once every 3-to-6 months I sit down to binge watch a series for around three days straight. Sleeping highly optional. Heh. Last Summer it was Buffy the Vampire Slayer (got through three seasons in three days, heh), Winter break was Death Note and this time, it is Black Butler. Watched Season one yesterday. Am watching season two today. Sooo suggestive. Doesn't help that the introducing theme song, when paired with the images, makes it look like it's a dark, yaoi romance. Oooor, that may just be me. Anywho~

Shout out to LadyTeldra, Ubermarine, NATARYA, m.z. Thanks very much for reviewing! My reviewers have given me a couple treats to chew on for these past few chapters, and I thank you.

LadyTeldra: Glad you liked it. That scene came out of nowhere, by the way. L decided he wanted to have a moment, and I was like (What the hell? The building is about to crush you and you want to...oookay. Whatever! I give up. Do what you want. I'll go stand over there and shake the building until the roof falls on your head...again!). And well, you'll see. ^_^

Ubermarine: Now what would be the fun in killing the main characters half way through? Heh. And I'll keep that in mind.

m.z: I was in the middle of finishing up the first scene when I got your review. +pokes second part of chapter+ Hope you like it. ;D As for your further commentary, well, I've been hinting at the number 8 for a while now, ya. It means many things. You're pretty good at figuring out my little hints it seems.

**Tiny chapter warning. You shouldn't be reading this at work anyhow! Buuuuut. +smooches+ Suggestiveness ahead.**

**Fool's Gambit**

**By Catsitta**

17.

"This isn't right..."

Lips touched flushed skin. Hands plucked at stubborn buttons. Hearts beat in rapid unison.

Light pushed gently against Ryuuzaki's shoulder, not wishing to aggravate his injury. The genius shuddered, fingers clutching at the fabric of her shirt. She could hear it, his shortened breaths, damp with restrained tears. He laid his head against her breast, desperate, searching, ear pressed to the constant thrum of life that resided within.

"What makes it wrong?" he whispered childishly. Like a boy lost without his mother.

She sighed, carding her nails through that untamable hair. "Grief cannot be fought with false passions," Light said, allowing her voice to gentle. She could be weak in this moment. Shed her hardened identity for a brief moment. "You don't love me and I do not love you. That is what makes this wrong."

"People do this all the time without love," Ryuuzaki murmured.

Light allowed her head to roll back, head against the cool wall. They were in darkness, every hint of light snuffed. She listened as the chain binding them rattled, a metal serpent against silk sheets. It was not difficult to recall how they ended up in this position, tousled and heated. They'd spent their time in the hospital, well, the closest thing to a hospital that Ryuuzaki allowed. It was a small, private medical facility that catered to their needs.

The days were easy to lose, the endless drone of equipment beeping and humming. But it was the fear that kept them crawling by like congealing blood.

During the bombing of the building, Watari had been with Misa, serving her an evening tea. From there, the events were a haze. The pair had escaped somehow, though not without injury. Misa was still in a medicine induced coma in order for her to heal after a steel beam pierced through her abdomen. The doctors said she would be lucky to live. And should she, the scarring would be intense and the pain likely constant. As for Watari, he wasn't as young as the blonde. No, while of hearty english breeding, the elderly man was up in the years, his health fragile from time's dripping sand.

His heart still beat. Though the pulse weakened with every passing day. The doctors gave him maybe a week before his body gave up. There was little they could do for a man who just did not have the strength of will to live anymore.

Now, here they were, almost a month after the bombing, hiding like rats in a gilded cage, waiting for the inevitable. Outside, Kira's revolution raged like an inferno, the people revolting against the Oligarchy after decades of oppression. The unlawful died. The corrupt perished. The rot of this world was burning away.

Light shivered. There had been many days where she longed for this moment, the uprising of the just against the evil. But now, it felt hollow. Betrayed by the few good men that L put his trust into, left to die at the hands of an Oligarchy who would wish her end had they known her secret, Light was shattered, confused. Afraid. What did one do when trapped in the heart of a battlefield, helpless? A civilian could do little in the face of an army.

Tears trickled down her cheeks as she thought about her sister, her mother. Were they alive? Did the government kill them? And Matsuda, idiot though he was...was he well? Knowing him, he would have run off to protect his crush at the first whisper of war. Maybe, just maybe, that puppyish loyalty would be the Yagami family's salvation.

Lips stole away her tears.

Tawny eyes met black in the fathomless pitch of dark.

"Go to sleep, Ryuuzaki."

Arms wrapped around her waist, fingers toying with the strip of skin exposed by her untucked shirt. A searching thumb dipped into the hollow of her bellybutton. Urgent fingers swept low, touching that which was her hidden shame. Her secret. He was one of a scarce few who knew the truth, and perhaps the only one not to judge, to see her with unclouded eyes. Male or female, the detective did not seem to care. He would happily make her his lover either way. And, in a strange way, he knew that she wasn't comfortable with being openly 'she'. Despite wanting to tell the world that she was a woman, that she was brilliant and strong and a female all the same...societal fears and conditioning made her wary of the very word.

Thus he called her "he". Perhaps one day, if such a day ever arose, it would be safe to shed that lie. To stop hiding.

"I just want to touch Light. He is warm."

"Pervert," she whispered, half-amused, half-sad. "You just want to grope me in my sleep."

One hand slipped up, cupping her waist and ribs, nails scraping the broad binding bandages. He didn't pull at them, instead, he rested his palm over the flat plane.

"These can't be comfortable to sleep in."

"I've done so for a long time."

"Hn."

"I'll make you a deal, go to sleep and I'll remove the bandages for tonight."

"Will Light let me hold him?"

"Yes. Have I yet to say no?"

Both of those persistent hands settled on Light's waist, his touch constant but comforting. "I'll go to sleep," he said. "But Light should know that I hate it."

"Shhh, I'll be right here when you wake up."

"Ah, but will anyone else be?"

The pair fell silent. Time would heal...most wounds.

.

As the two geniuses fought to find sleep, Misa Amane fought to wake.

This nightmare, it always started the same. Peaceful, mundane. And in the end, she was toppled by pain.

There was Watari, dapper and proper in his black suit, gold buttons polished to an impressive shine. Misa had an eye for fine things. This butler was certainly one of them. He stood pouring tea from a gilded pot made of the finest porcelain. She crossed her legs primly, enjoying being treated like a lady of wealth and prestige. Of course, she was technically at the mercy of some weird stalker guy, but after he freed her from his fetish chamber, she'd been treated like a queen.

It was strange. The creepy pervert always sent her messages and pictures from her boyfriend, assuring her that he was fine, but he never let Light visit! Misa wondered exactly what icky things he was doing to poor, sweet Light!

"Is something amiss?"

Watari, having noticed her distraction, had stopped pouring tea.

Misa waved him to continue, "It's nothing really. Misa just misses her Light. I can't imagine a world without Light!" She slumped dramatically on the sofa she was resting on, hair spread like a halo on the crimson cushions.

Misa gripped the cushion and hugged it to her chest, legs thrust into the air as if she were four years old again. She bent her toes and swung her legs, unheeding that there was a male in the room who could quite easily peer up her skirt. Watari would say nothing. Wouldn't leer. She'd learned early on how unfazable the old man was.

"Does Miss Amane need anything else?"

Oh, I do love your little pastries! The ones with chocolate and-"

BOOM!

The room shook. Watari stumbled, tea things crashing to the floor. Misa shrieked as the ceiling began to crackle, dropping chunks of powdery sheetrock onto her head. Like lightning, Watari moved faster than any old man Misa had ever seen, and grabbed her by the wrist, hauling her to her feet.

"What's going on!"

"We're under attack."

CRACK!

Suddenly, the floor tilted violently and the walls buckled, as if the room was collapsing in on itself. Misa ran as fast as she could, obeying every jerk of the wrist as Watari attempted to guide her safely towards the door.

"There is an emergency exit in the hall outside your room," he said, pressing a button on a strange device he'd pulled from his coat. "Hurry!"

He flung the door open and pushed Misa into the hallway. She heard another crack and Watari shouted in pain. She paused, her hesitation a fatal mistake. Watari had been struck by falling debris on his way through the door, his coat was torn and something was bleeding profusely. Then, she was weightless. Falling. The floor no longer beneath her. Pain. It was sudden and numbing.

A gloved hand grabbed her's. He pulled, but something was very wrong. She felt tingly all over. Weak. Watari pulled her up. His eyes were wide with horror.

She glanced down and saw something protruding from her stomach. Her head lolled forwards. Darkness greeted her. As did pain.

And thus the cycle rewound.

.

Elsewhere, three men stared out their respective windows, drinking in the chaos.

One felt gripped by the wicked order to eliminate L, wondered how their perfect world fell apart so quickly. One stood in the wrecked ruin of his office, aware that he was the King on the losing side of this fatal chess match. And one simply took a moment to appreciate God's will.

The latter chuckled darkly, pushed up his glasses and returned to his divine duty proclaimed by his holy master Kira. Names covered the pages as faintly red eyes glittered in the fading light. He picked up a fresh pen and began to bloody the pages, purge the unclean from this world.

All the while he whispered one thing:

"Delete."

-tbc-

**A/N: (Viva La Revolution! The Oligarchy's infamous eight is down to two. Kira's justice is spurring war. And memories are a funny thing, now aren't they? Where do we go when we on the verge of losing everything and all that remains is a double edged sword of salvation and destruction? **

**Thoughts? Commentary? Wild theories? **

**Please review! And see y'all tomorrow.)**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: **I've affectionately named this chapter "Conversations" in my head. It's very dialogue driven, so bear with me, yes? Also, it was written between chores, like going to the laundry mat, washing dishes and going grocery shopping. Never got a chance to sit down and write until after five o' clock. Whew...and I start my internship in the morning, so my chapters will be posted later...prolly after 5 or 6 eastern time.

Now, shout out to my reviewers m.z, LadyTeldra, Ubermarine and trigonita.

m.z: I just love your little chewy plot cookies. I mean, wild theories. +snatches up and nibbles+ Yummy.

LadyTeldra: Hopefully his death will not be in vain, yes? Chin up.

Ubermarine: The middle of this chappie is dedicated to you and your last review.

trigonita: Sure! You can translate this fic into French if you'd like. As you'd mentioned, just send me a link of the fic and link the story to my story and profile. Thank you and good luck!

**Fool's Gambit**

**By Catsitta**

18.

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

"Yes."

"You've already halved your lifespan once, Misa..."

"I don't care. Make me the eye deal!"

.

"She's awake."

Both Light and L looked up from their respective tasks when the nurse called through the door. With no hesitance, they stood and made their way to her room.

.

Eyes tainted with unseeable crimson blinked in the pale glow of the room. She hurt all over. Had it all been a dream? A strange, wonderful dream? Misa flexed her fingers, then clenched them around the shred of paper in her grasp. It all came into crystal focus. Death Note. She was second Kira. Light was first Kira. She was under surveillance. Light had her give up the notebook for her safety. Rem, sweet Rem, Misa was unsure where this notebook came from. Who it belonged to. It did not feel the same as her first Death Note, it felt older...wiser...No. Her notebook was in another's hands, someone who could enact Kira's will.

She shifted. Eyes hooded. Rem came to her in her coma, woke her up from that terrible nightmare and returned her memories. But took the Death Note away, leaving Misa with only a scrap to cling to. A lifeline.

The door opened.

Light stepped in. He was as beautiful as she remembered, and he looked so relived. Oh, her precious Light had worried about his queen! He turned, glancing over his shoulder.

"Are you coming in, Ryuuzaki?"

"No Light. It isn't advisable. I will be right here."

There was a rattle of metal against tile, and Light shuffled in. Around his wrist was a cuff with a chain snaking through the doorway. He was still a prisoner. Like her.

"Light...you came." Her smile faltered when she spied the jumbled numbers that composed his lifespan. Numbers only shinigami could interpret and were shielded by the ownership of a Death Note. Light was no longer Kira. He'd given up his Death Note! That meant he wasn't her king right now. Well, that would be no problem for Misa Misa! She'd get his notebook back.

The teen paused at her beside.

"Of course, Misa. I was very worried."

"Misa missed her Light."

"I missed you too."

"What happened. Why am I here and why do I hurt?"

"There is a revolution going on, Misa. Kira's revolution. The Oligarchy and the people are at war. And...we were caught in the crossfire. The building we were in was bombed. We're lucky to be alive."

Misa subconsciously placed a hand on her stomach.

"I...I should let you rest. The doctor will tell you the details."

Light stepped back, sadness in those tawny eyes.

.

"Ryuuzaki?"

"It's happening."

"What is?"

"The end."

Light chuckled, "You sound as if this is Armageddon."

"To some."

"What exactly is happening?"

Ryuuzaki turned his laptop towards Light, "The government is turning on the people. HQ was a planned attack, an attempt to smother the Kira case for good. When that failed to stop the war, not that it would have in the first place, they turned to fighting. I'm afraid that if something isn't done soon, Japan and all of the other countries that form the Oligarchy will be destroyed. They have tactically placed weapons of mass destruction, poised to eliminate the areas with the highest population of Kira support. I do not believe they care how many innocents will die if it will cow the people into submission..."

"How will destroying cities help anything!"

The detective laughed cheerlessly, "Simple. It will crush moral and allow for the military to gain control in the aftermath. Systematic elimination of rebellion would follow suit."

Light's stomach was heavy, as if he'd swallowed lead.

"What can we do?"

"Ever hear of cutting the serpent's head?"

"Isn't the Oligarchy more like a hydra?"

Ryuuzaki shook his head, "No. They're too paranoid, too greedy. They cauterize the wound before another head can grow."

"Strange. I never thought I'd hear you speak of bringing down the government."

"I'm an assassin, Light. Legal and wrapped up in the title of detective, but a paid killer all the same. And we assassin's don't take kindly to our master's betraying us. We tend to get...vengeful."

"That I can understand."

L extended a hand to Kira.

They grasped each other's palms and shook, eyes locked.

.

It came as no great surprise when the nurse knocked on the door with a solemn expression on her face. They were expecting this. Waiting to make a move until he either recovered or...passed on. Light placed a hand on Ryuuzaki's shoulder. The detective did not weep.

.

Watari was buried the next day, his last rights spoken a the grim monotone of his ward. Pale fingers trembled as he dropped the first handful of soil onto the unmarked grave. Said fingers clenched into soft earth when the final grains were laid. Light said nothing as Ryuuzaki grieved in the only way he knew how, in silence, his emotions locked behind an iron wall.

She waited at his side for hours, eyes fixated on nothing as the ache ebbed and flowed. She didn't know the old man well, but he didn't deserve this long suffering with no goodbye.

When they returned to the hospital, Ryuuzaki moved like a robot, feet shuffling habitually. He made no fuss as Light helped him undress for bed, and he obediently accepted the tea she brought. He ate and drank as commanded, though she had every doubt that he slept.

The next morning, Light woke to Ryuuzaki tapping away at his laptop.

He never mentioned Watari's name.

.

"We're leaving?"

"Yes Misa. The doctor's said you are safe to move and we have been here long enough. It's not safe for Ryuuzaki to remain in one place for long."

"And why do I care if mister stalker is safe?"

"He's taking care of us, Misa. Believe it or not, he's the only reason we're alive."

"And the only reason we were ever in danger!"

"Misa..."

"Oh Light. Do we really have to go with him?"

"You don't. Not if you do not wish to."

"But what about you?"

"I haven't a choice."

"I...I don't want to be separated from my Light," she murmured.

"Everything will be alright."

"Light."

"Yes?"

Misa pressed her lips to Light's. The kiss was gentle.

"I love you Light. I would do anything for you, you know that right?"

"Then get well."

She curled her hands in his shirt, "Light."

"Yes?"

"If you were Kira, I think I'd love you even more."

"What about the war he started?"

A flicker of hidden crimson leapt in blue eyes, "It was time."

Light sighed and kissed her brow. Then he left the room, flicking the lights off, plunging Misa back into darkness. She slid her hands under the blankets. That piece of Death Note laid hidden and safe.

.

"Where are we going?"

"Someplace safe."

"Ryuuzaki..."

"Trust me, please. I have been doing this for a long time, Light."

She laid her head against the wall and listened as Ryuuzaki finalized their plans, his fingers flying over the keys between curt phone calls. The names Wedy and Aiber were thrown around quite a bit. She swore she saw an email addressed to someone named Rodger. All she knew was that in a matter of hours, they would be leaving this temporary safe haven to take on the Oligarchy.

Her hands tightened around the scrap of paper she kept in her pocket. It was creased and softened from weeks of abuse. Still, it brought its own comfort. Was a balm for the helplessness.

.

"Hgn. It's the middle of the night. M'tired."

Urgent lips pressed to Light's, shaking hands fitted around the curve of her shoulders. She shifted, tried to roll away from his strange advance, but he pulled her close, clinging ruthlessly.

"Easy there, that kinda hurts. What's gotten you so riled up?"

She felt him shudder. Was...was Ryuuzaki crying? Damp kissed trailed up the side of her neck. He pulled at the collar of her button up shirt. The other hand flicked at the buttons. Light was used to his roaming fingers, but this didn't seem quite right. This wasn't him flirting. No, this was him once again trying to gain some peace in the chaos. Light knew she should have stopped him, but instead, she quietly allowed Ryuuzaki to pluck free the last of the small buttons. The shirt fell away, leaving her skin to be kissed by the cool air.

He didn't try to turn her over or touch her breasts. Instead he explored the exposed expanse of her back with kisses and gentle strokes. It was odd, but soothing. Light liked this. She wasn't the biggest fan of kissing, nor did she really see the point of touching more intimate places, but these gentle caresses were nice. Eased her into a doze. She lazily accepted his touch as he skimmed his hands over her hip bones and onto her stomach. Ryuuzaki spent a few minutes simply breathing in the scent of her hair and he traced her ribs.

Surprisingly, he did at last pull Light onto her back and placed a knee on either side of her legs. She wasn't sure when he'd shed his shirt, since he never seemed to like sleeping exposed in any manner. But he was warm. His kiss tasted of salt.

"Light is so beautiful."

"And you choose the wrong time to be eloquent. I need sleep."

"Just a few minutes. I just want a few minutes of Light's time."

"Oh, and what exactly are you planning on doing with those minutes?"

"Just touch. I need...I need something, Light. I'm not sure what it is anymore. I feel so...lost. Empty. But with you, when I'm touching you, when I can hear you speak, hear your heart beat, know that I am alive...I feel whole."

Light couldn't help but smile just a tad in the dark, "I never would have thought you a closest romantic when I met you. What next? Poetry by a lake?"

"Sounds pleasant. Normal."

Ryuuzaki's hand curled around Light's wrist. The one free of the shackle. He brought it to his chest, laid the palm flat to his racing heart.

"I'm human, like everyone else. Isolation is against even my nature. I've always had someone with me. Now, all I have is you and I don't want to lose you."

"What does this have to do with waking me to grope me in the middle of the night?"

The detective chuckled softly, then he said in a grave voice, "I wish we were lovers."

"Why is that?"

"Because according to those dramas Light speaks so eloquently about, you would never leave me until one of us died."

"Life isn't a soap opera. People leave all the time, lovers or no."

"I know. Better than most. I know."

"Then why speak of it?"

"Because even a logical creature such as I needs an escapist fantasy now and then."

He laid his forehead against Light's and rolled to the side, wrapping his arms around her. Light kept her hands pressed against his heartbeat as Ryuuzaki cupped her head and laid it at the curve of his neck.

Touch.

Some loved it. Some hated it. Some feared it.

Light wasn't partial to it, but Ryuuzaki...he craved it. He savored each kiss and caress, she could tell. He thrived on these sensual embraces—no longer platonic yet not truly sexual. She could do this much for him. She could hold him in his sleep.

Those lips pressed to hers, more urgent than before.

She knew what he wanted.

"I've told you before-"

"I love you."

"What?"

Light squirmed.

"Light said that this was wrong when people did not love each other. A strange concept given how he is a logical mind like mine. But I must confess, after all this time, no matter how I tried to deny it...I have fallen in love with Light. Even if he could be Kira. Even if he doesn't love me back. I think Light should know that I love him. Completely."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Even the greatest of men are made fools by it."

"Go to sleep."

"I will still love Light in the morning."

He kissed her one final time before releasing her. Troubled, Light struggled to find sleep.

.

Elsewhere, Ryuuk stood on top of a skyscraper, grinning madly. Oh, this was just delicious. His little human had sparked a war! All this death was positively savory. He cackled. It was about time to change the game again. Dear sweet Kira needed to wake up and see his new world.

tbc

**A/N: (Um. Surprise? Next up is...well, I'm not sure yet. I'll figure that out. We have just over a third of the story to go. And I have decided to have two endings for this tale. A 31st chapter named 'Epilogue' and an alternate ending in the form of a new story that will focus more heavily on romance and LightxL's relationship. In fact, I've written the final chapter, just so I would know how it ended. **

**See y'all tomorrow! Please review! Love it, like it, hate it-feedback keeps a writer on track and gives this writer fodder for this challenge fic.)**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: **First day of my internship today. Spent it filling out a spreadsheet in googledocs and learning some software I'll be using this summer. Then I went home planning to start working on this, and ended up falling asleep for three hours. I never nap. Ah well.

Shoutout to Trigonita and snickermoon814 for your reviews.

Snickermoon814: I blame you for this chapter. JK. But seriously though.

**WARNING: Not work safe. Pervvy but not explicit. If you feel I need to up the rating of this story, please tell me.**

**Fool's Gambit**

**By Catsitta**

19.

"This is amazing! You did all of this while I was asleep?"

Ryuuzaki nodded, his expression ever one of boredom, dead eyes rolled towards the ceiling. Light shook her head, used to this behavior.

"We have enough evidence to pull this...Mikami Teru in for questioning in regards to the Kira case," Light said, closing the laptop lid. "We can stop these killings today."

"Indeed."

"What's wrong? You don't seem happy about this at all. Won't you be glad to catch Kira once and for all!"

The world's greatest detective curled one finger in the chain between them, knees pressed to his chest per usual, bare toes clenched in the sheets. "Happy? Yes, I am pleased that the killings will stop. But I fear that it will be but a brief pause before the real Kira awakens again, and this time, I am uncertain if I will survive until week's end." He met Light's confused gaze. "Because I am sitting in bed with the true Kira. In one room over his accomplice. Both Kira's want me dead, and I am an obstacle to his perfect world. I know this much."

Light grabbed a pillow and flung it at Ryuuzaki's head, "Idiot! I'm not Kira."

The detective didn't bother to dodge, "Not now. But Light can become him again and I haven't the strength to do what I must."

"Ryuuzaki?"

"I knew from the start I was falling in love with the enemy," he muttered harshly. "Light forfeiting his memories like Misa was my undeniable proof." Ryuuzaki jammed a thumb between his teeth and rocked softly. "L and Kira are opposites, we fight on two differing sides of this war. Yet we are the same, lost in this corruption. I find my faith fleeting. It troubles me."

"Do you mean to say that you would side with that monster Kira? After everything he's done? That's...disgusting."

L fell sideways as Light's fist caught his chin. He grunted in pain, but remained limp as the teen crawled onto his chest, gripped his shirt and began to shake him like a doll. Light could feel the tears in her eyes-hot, frustrated, confused tears. She wanted to wrap her hands around his stupid neck! Instead she pushed him down and slid off the bed, moving as far as the chain would allow.

"I'm dedicated to catching Kira and proving my innocence," Light said after a pause. "Which means we need to bring Mikami Teru to justice for his crimes."

"Yes."

"Well what are you waiting for?"

"This will be dangerous," Ryuuzaki warned, sitting up. "And our resources are far more limited than before. I...I will have to do this investigation myself, something I prefer to avoid in high profile cases like this due to the nature of the crime involved. But it seems my team has been harshly cut, and you, my dear, are chained to me. I find it difficult to consider risking your life."

"Then unchain me!"

Ryuuzaki fiddled with the cuff, no longer looking at Light, "I am afraid."

"Pardon?"

"I could die tonight."

"You won't die, you drama queen."

Ryuuzaki pulled hard on the chain, forcing Light to stumble into the detective's waiting arms. He pulled her flush against him, lips soft against her throat. She felt a blush heat her cheeks. The pervert's hands did not wander at first, instead he held her hips against his as he worshiped the exposed skin her her face and throat with kisses. Common sense demanded that she push him away, maybe throw in a slap for good measure; instead Light fell still and allowed his attentions.

She knew what he wanted.

She'd known for a long time.

Ever since that first incident where Ryuuzaki groped her, trying to figure out Light's big secret, she'd known what he wanted.

A tiny voice reminded her that she considered seducing him in those early days. It was a repulsive thought then, that seemed rather indifferent now. While she had none of those fluttering feelings that girls gossiped about, nor did she have all consuming desire, Light was no longer opposed by the idea of bedding the detective. It wasn't something she would initiate, but Ryuuzaki had no problem making his wants known.

Breaking a kiss, Light placed her hands on his chest.

"I believe I was yelling at you."

He untucked her shirt, "Light is quite passionate."

"And you're the pervert turned on by us fighting."

"I'm not the only one," he responded, hands creeping to unbutton her slacks.

"What do you want?" Light asked in a hard voice, though she failed to force his hands away from their quest.

Ryuuzaki tugged at the zipper and reached in, sending a shiver of warning up Light's spine. He had not done this in a while. This time, his intent was clearly different. She bit her lip, struggling against a battle of emotions and voices in her head, demanding that she take action. She shouldn't allow this! Fingertips brushed her most intimate of places.

Light inhaled sharply, nails digging reflexively into his chest.

Black eyes bore into tawny.

He moved his hand away, head tilted in a manner akin to shame.

"I apologize. I forget myself around Light."

Her mind whirled quickly, faster than ever before. Ryuuzaki gently attempted to nudge her off his lap. Light's mental roulette landed on red.

"LIGHT!"

She smirked as those dead eyes sparked with surprise. For the first time since these games began, Light took control. Her grip tightened around her prize. Pervert was aroused every time they kissed. A compliment of a kind, she guessed. Ryuuzaki wanted her. Valued her. Wanted to be her lover despite believing she was a mass murderer, discovering that she was masquerading as a male, and getting into several very physical brawls. There was a fuzzy leap of power. Being in control. This was nice. He looked so helpless while in hand.

"I'm getting tired of you stopping what you start."

"L-Light wants to? But he said...Ngh!"

"I'm merely giving you the same treatment you've given me," Light drawled. "Touching what I had no permission to touch. You don't seem too offended."

Ryuuzaki grunted, and shook his head, "Light could have used me any way he wanted."

"You're so strange, Ryuuzaki."

Suddenly, she was on her back. Her heart leapt in her chest.

"What does Light want from me?"

Light shifted, "Do I need to spell it out?"

"No," Ryuuzaki murmured. "Perhaps tell me why?"

"Fine. I'm a healthy eighteen year old with an itch to scratch, you're here, and Kira might kill us soon. Maybe I don't want to die a virgin, or some shit like that."

The detective chuckled, "Light never stops lying, does he?"

Light flushed and turned her head. "If you're going to insult me..."

Gentle hands turned her face and their lips met. It was sweet.

"If Light wishes to continue...this...I want him to s-say my name."

"Your name?"

He nodded shyly, "L. Call me L."

Light rolled her eyes. He was likely used to that appellation as compare to any others. Strange, she was seriously considering sleeping with a man who lived behind countless names, one of which was a letter. And as he said in the HQ as it fell down around their ears, letters did not star in lurid romance novels. This wasn't some bodice ripper. They were just two people in a strange situation. She cared about him, and he claimed to be in love with her. It was surreal.

It was real.

This was real life. Some fires burned hot and fast, whirlwind romances and impassioned rendezvous's in darkened corners. Others burned cool and slow, where strangers meet and take quiet walks through the park, falling in love by accident, if at all.

Light trembled.

Things were changing so quickly.

But Light wasn't one to back down.

"What are you waiting for, L?"

He yanked her to him and crushed their lips together. Light gripped his hair. She didn't quite understand it. This inferno felt cold. But she allowed it to wrap her up, and lost herself in the twisting flames. They kissed for a long while and when they parted, L did something very surprising. He unlocked the cuffs and chucked the chain across the room.

"What about the 24 hour surveillance?"

"I'm not letting Light out of my sight anytime soon."

Her words were stolen away by his urgency. He pulled at her clothes and his own, clumsy in his attempts to touch skin. Light held him close.

Was this right?

Was she making a mistake?

"Light."

"L?"

His hand covered the swell of a breast, "I love you."

Light pulled him into another kiss.

She was willing to take a chance.

.

Evening found the two lovers entangled in the bedsheets. Ryuuzaki had been unable to let her go. He held onto the woman he loved too much for his heath. She would be his death. In sleep, without her memories, Light was innocent. It was easy to pretend that she wouldn't one day regain Kira's wicked power and likely turn that weapon on him. He'd lived a short, monochrome life. Twenty five years of existing, striving to be the best detective in the world, solving the impossible cases. Living for nothing but the sunrise.

In the past two months, he'd gained more color than all those wasted years.

Kira would paint him red in the end.

But for now, she slept peacefully, curled in his arms as if he was an ordinary man and she an ordinary woman. There had been no anger in their joining, no harshness or fear. Instead there was gentleness and worry, the fumbling of two innocents as they learned humanity's rhythm.

Reluctantly, L slipped from bed and left his lover sleeping.

He had a job to do.

.

As the night fell thick, Light arose.

In the darkness, she searched for her lover, and found sheets cool. She frowned and sat up. Of course, he'd left. Light refused to be one of those girls, who bemoaned that her partner slunk off. She had privacy for the first time in weeks and the handcuffs were off. She had his trust.

A trust that tasted bitter.

Pushing back the anger that threatened to build in her chest, she pushed aside the sheets and passed naked to the bathroom. She needed a shower. Flicking on the switch, she was surprised to see a strange, black book lying on the tiles.

"L must have dropped this," she muttered, bending down to pick it up.

As her fingers touched the leather cover, pain lanced through her body like a lightning strike.

Kira was back.

Laughter filled the room.

"What took you so long?" Light said sharply, turning towards the cackling shinigami.

"I was enjoying the show," Ryuuk replied. "You humans are so, interesting."

She held the book out to Ryyuk, "Hold onto this for just a little while longer, Ryuuk. I'm keeping ownership, don't worry. But I have a plan and I can have the Death Note sitting around here."

"Right. You still have that piece of the page?"

"Of course. And I believe it is enough for me to end this game once and for all."

"Do tell."

"Later. I have a few things to take care of first."

Light stepped heedlessly into the shower and turned on the water. Even without her memories, she'd done what she needed to do. She'd seduced L. Perfect. And the pathetic pervert had fallen in love with her too.

"This whole world is going to bow at my feet. Starting with you, L."

-tbc-

**A/N: (Uh-oh. We approach the 2/3's mark. Please review!)**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N:** Second day of my internship...my hands went numb from the AC. And spent a mind numbing 4 1/2 hours of dredging through the most poorly organized website and writing up an audit. I've barely made a dent. I have a feeling I know where my next few days are going to be focused. Anywho~ I started dabbling with another Death Note story idea. This will prolly be a short story unless I decide to continue with it, but I blame my recent splurge into Black Butler and Blue Exorcist for the concept. To give a hint, Light's a cat demon, a minor subspecies of succubus, and he became Kira when he picked up a shinigami notebook. The story begins four years later when L catches him at long last and has a plan to keep the demon from wrecking more terror on the mortal plane. It's a humor / romance concept and prolly going to be rated M. 'Cause, reasons.

Shoutout to KalikoKat123, snickermoon814, LadyTeldra, m.z. and UnsightlyDreams for reviewing.

UnsightlyDreams: This chapter should shed some "light" into why L is still pursuing Kira. And his reasoning is a bit warped itself. He is an assassin, yes, but his kills are generally legally backed and seen as a death penalty instead of murder. He doesn't like to kill and would rather not do so. But now, he is in a moral and personal dilemma. In a way, he isn't quite sure why he's still fighting, he just knows that the world is falling down and he desperately wants to save the one he loves from himself. As for Watari, he was always in the background, there, helping and constant. Everything flies out of hand with him gone, even if his death was a quiet one.

**And why does FF keep eating my formatting? Grr.**

**Fool's Gambit**

**By Catsitta**

20.

"Why am I doing this?"

L gazed up at the moonless sky, drinking in what were possibly his last minutes of life. Kira was within this building. He'd done the research and knew that while the logical next step would be surveillance, this was the quickest way to ending things. He shivered. The Oligarchy betrayed him. Kira wanted any opposition dead. And here we was, stuck in the middle, a now renegade assassin acting on his morals alone.

It would be so easy to give this case up. When HQ collapsed, he gave up a perfect chance to disappear with Light in tow. Part of him fantasized about a happy ending, where he was completely wrong about the first Kira's identity and the person he loved would come to adore him with the same intensity. But this was no fairy tale, and even if it was, he wasn't the hero. Letters didn't get the girl, nor slay the dragon. They died forgotten in the haze of battle, their glory ignored by the champions history favored.

He would be forgotten easily in this crumbling world. Before he left, the least he could do was give it a chance to survive. While Kira's intent was good, it was childish and vain. The criminals and the corrupt had to die. What happened when the true evil was purged and only the fearful remained. A world ruled by Kira would be no kinder than one beneath the Oligarchy.

"Just two remain," he murmured as his thoughts traveled to that of the failing government. Part of him prayed that Light, be he Kira or not, never discovered those last two names. His psyche was a delicate thing, no matter how strong he acted. Such a shock could easily throw Light into a dangerous state of mind.

Deciding that he was dawdling, L shoved wandering thoughts aside and pushed onwards. Beneath his clothes were his weapons of choice. Some were meant to immobilize, others were crafted to kill. Depending on how he found Mikami would determine which method he chose. L truly did have questions he needed to ask and this was possibly his last chance to discover how Kira killed before he met his end.

He slipped a small contraption given to him by Wedy. It was the latest-and-greatest in breaking-and-entering tech. L had climbed his share of buildings. This one just happened to be a touch taller than usual. He wasn't sure whether he was pleased or irritated with the habitual nature of this workaholic criminal defense attorney. The late hours made him easy to find and isolate, but...

L sighed.

It was time to start climbing.

.

Delete. _Delete_! **DELETE!**

So many unworthy lives cluttering his God's perfect world. He had to rid this filth from the planet. He had to please his beloved. If God was pleased, perhaps he would reward him with a visit. Yes, that would be the ultimate reward, to bathe in the presence of a living divine.

Delete.

His hand was aching from writing, but Mikami refused to cease. He would obey his God. Kira's will was his command. If God wished him to write names until his hands bled, then he would comply with a heart brimming with joy.

He paused just briefly, just long enough to put away a folder and pull a new one from his desk. He laid out the neatly printed lines of names and matching photographs, their crimes emblazoned at the side. None of these worthless creatures deserved to live. He hated defending them from true justice. He despised those that profited from the guilty getting free. Mikami's eyes slid to the small television in the corner of his office. He jotted down the name of an influential politician who he knew was extorting money.

A slip of a smile flicked onto his lips and he continued to delete the impure from the earth. It was soothing, the sound of a pen scratching against paper. He relished in it. Just a few more pages and he would finish for the night, his duty done until the rise of dawn.

Delete.

Delete.

Del-

Mikami choked, pen clattering to the floor. He trembled, shock winning over pain. What...what was happening to him? No. NO!

"Despite what Kira believes, he is not having a heart attack."

Dark eyes fall to his chest, where his fingers were clutching at the fine silk suit. He pulled the digits away to reveal blood. Splattered on the flawless black-and-white of the Death Note was his blood.

He attempted to stand.

A hand clasped on his shoulder and forced him to keep sitting.

"My name is L," said his attacker. Mikami shuddered. "And I have a few questions."

.

"I-I won't b-betray God."

L shook his head, "Murder is a sin in God's eyes, if I do correctly recall."

Mikami began to laugh, quietly at first, but then in desperate cackles.

"You fool! My God is cleansing this world of evil. He is brining forth a new dawn. I am but his humble servant, an outstretched hand. Kira will never die. He cannot."

"Who is he?"

"He is God!"

L growled. This was going nowhere. This third Kira was a sycophant, a bloody pawn who brandished Kira's power with swift skill.

"How does Kira kill?"

"Oh? T-the infamous L doesn't k-know everything?"

He grabbed the killer and pulled him to his feet, staring him in the eye. Mikami grinned ruthlessly. "Oh my. That was a m-mistake. A fatal mistake!" He shoved L away and dropped to the floor, grabbing his pen. "I shall kill you for God, L Law-"

Mikami gripped his chest, still on his knees.

"N-no. God! I'm...I...I'm doing this f-for you."

Those eyes went glassy as he struggled to stand, but his heart was failing. L grabbed the man, praying that he was bleeding out and not having a heart attack. He could mend the wound he made. It did not strike any vital organs.

"G-god!"

He reached for the note book laid open on the table. The ends of bloody finger tips touched the stark paper, staining it further crimson.

Then he felt limp.

Dead.

L felt his anger burn hot.

Only one person knew about his pursuit of Mikami. One. And here he held the dead body of the suspect. The betrayal stung. No, it ached beyond explanation. This was the proof. The cold, bloodied proof. L laid the madman down.

"Light will be the death of me," he murmured, not for the first time, turning to investigate the scene. He was the world's best detective. It was time to prove it. L picked up the bloodied note book and flipped through the pages. There had to be thousands of names written in Mikami's neat hand. But that wasn't what he was looking for. "Where is it?" He kept turning pages. So many names. After a minute, he spied Misa's bubbly script. But he never found what he sought. Not a single name written in Light's handwriting.

Which meant only two things.

This note book was somehow related to Kira's power.

And there was at least one more on this Earth.

He snapped the book shut and stepped over Mikami's body. As he studied the wall, plotting his escape between scattered thoughts, something touched his shoulder.

He glanced up.

Then paled.

For the first time in memory, L let out a scream.

tbc

**A/N: (Hm. And the climax approaches as this tale enters the third arc. Ten more chapters to go, my lovelies. Please keep reviewing! Y'all keep me on track.)**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: **I gotta stop falling asleep when I come home from work. Nh.

Shoutout to NATARYA for your review! Hope to keep you on the edge of your seat for a little while longer.

**Fool's Gambit**

**By Catsitta**

21.

"What are you?"

Bulging yellow eyes peered down from a gaping, bandaged wrapped face. It was a hulking, malformed beast, with white flesh and an aura of pure death.

"I. Am Rem. A shinigami."

They were real? Gods of death were real? L shivered and clutched the stained book to his chest, face bloodless, hands aching. Had it come to reap his mortal soul?

"You are the new owner of the Death Note."

"Death...Note?"

He peered down at the slim book.

"Write down any mortal's true name with their face in mind, and they shall die."

This was it. Kira's power.

"Who will you kill first, human?"

He gasped and tossed the foul weapon to the floor, "No one. I am not Kira."

The shinigami tilted its head, "All you humans can become Kira. This is their animal nature, primitive, dark and beastly. They use power for their own ends, thus a shinigami's Death Note is a potent tool. It would be foolish to claim there is no darkness in your soul, human. I can smell it."

"I won't. I'm not."

L shook his head.

"If you give up the Death Note, everything related to it will be stripped from your memory."

No. He couldn't have that happen. He needed these memories. He needed that Death Note to stop Kira...to save Light. Slowly, L approached the note. He could feel a sickly energy emanating from it, whispering in his ear how easy it would be to end the madness. With a database with most of humanity on record, L could end this war and protect his life from those whom wished his death.

He gritted his teeth.

Those were Kira thoughts. He wouldn't stoop to that level.

_Why not?_ His conscious whispered. Or perhaps it was the Death Note. _You're an assassin. You've killed before in the name of justice. This is simply a tool. It is in your hands now, the power to make good of this evil weapon._

"Rem," he said.

The shinigami was silent.

"Do you know who Kira is?"

"I know many things. It is not my duty to betray the former keepers of the Death Note."

"I see."

L shoved the Death Note up his shirt for safe keeping, shivering in revulsion as the cover rested against his vital organs. How could anyone write in this thing? It was pure wickedness. Quickly, knowing that his minute with the monster was a minute of escape wasted, he fled. He was creeping down the side of the building when the door of the office burst open and Mikami was found dead on the floor.

.

Light smiled when L returned. Such an innocent smile for a mass murderer. The teen bound up to him, primly smoothed into his usual sense of order despite the lateness of the hour. Normal folks had yet to answer the morning's coy beckon, choosing sleep in the the wake of the predawn. His lover was no less beautiful with these violently reopened eyes. He still desired nothing more than to lose himself in the quiet space between reality and dreams and forget this nightmare. Maybe, just maybe they could pretend for a little while longer.

"Is something wrong, Ryuuzaki?"

L swiped a hand through his hair. That name. It didn't suit him right now. Because he was L and Light was Kira. Yes, he could see it in those tawny eyes. There was coldness and calculation where only hours before there'd been warmth. Trust. To falter now would be a dangerous game of knives.

But pain made the pleasure so much sweeter.

"I wish to bathe, tonight's events were...not as planned."

"What happened?"

A loaded question. Light knew. L could see the way the teen's gaze sparked with tense anticipation, begging for L to take the bait, to lash out. "In the morning, Light."

He didn't expect the hand on his shoulder or the lips on his ear. Light was kissing his neck, fingers pulling at his collar. It hurt. His lover was tainted by Kira. By the Death Note. Which meant that that it was near. L inhaled sharply at the thought. Both rivals held death in their company. One knew the other's name but could not pull the trigger. The other held a smoking gun and only needed to reload the bullets.

L shivered.

"Did Light miss me?" he said, pretending for a moment. "Is that why he isn't sleeping?"

"How could I sleep when my lover left me cold."

"I can resolve that mistake easily enough."

"Oh?"

Their kiss tasted of ashes of future fires and blood unspilled. This wasn't Light and Ryuuzaki, no, this was Kira and L. They were both play acting, aware of how the seconds trickled by before the end of the world.

L pushed Kira onto the bed and covered that razor stare with one of Light's silk ties. Piece by piece, he shed his clothes and stripped his lover bare. He took care to ignore the small scrap of paper that peeked from Kira's slacks. No doubt it would have Mikami's name scrawled upon it in a neat script.

"Ryuuzaki!"

"L...call me L," he murmured.

This was unnatural seduction and he was coolly seduced. Neither believed the other was partaking this act in the same manner as before. But that did not stop L from lavishing the broken creature in his arms with loving kisses. He was a fool The greatest of all fools.

"I'm sorry."

He wasn't sure if he even said the words out loud.

Though he meant them.

It was time to enact his emergency plan.

Light never saw the knockout blow coming.

-tbc-

**A/N: (I have how this story ends figured out...Just a few more chapters to go...)**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: **Only one review for the past two chapters. You're making me worry, folks. ^_^; Anywho~

Shoutout to snickermoon814 for your review. And yes, I did give L a death note. He's not happy with me though.

**Fool's Gambit**

**By Catsitta**

22.

"Rem?"

Misa frowned as she sat up in her hospital bed. The shinigami had not visited her since returning her memories.

"Misa," there was warning in her voice. What was going on? She saw a glimmer of red. The flash of letters and numbers of a name. Misa scrambled for her scrap of Death Note and bit the flesh between her thumb and forefinger harshly. She ignored the pain and pressed a blood stained digit to the ripped page. Only the wobbly shape of an L formed before he was upon her.

"I thought as much," he said in a grim monotone. So this was the man who captured her and Light? There was an animalistic gleam in his eye as he approached, hands in his back pockets his posture slumped. Misa fumbled to write down the next letters, the rest of that name. "This book belongs to you."

She did not have time to question him. His hands were on her, yanking her from the bed. The cloth over her mouth and nose was sweet. In a dizzy spiral, she lost consciousness, her vision filled with the blurring image of a haunted shinigami.

L never noticed the bloodied piece of paper lost in the sheets.

Strike two on an invisible check list of fate.

.

Wedy and Aiber stared at their employer with disbelieving eyes. He called them with urgency, and here he stood with his two little prisoners unconscious and trussed on the night before the plan to move HQ. Neither recalled seeing such wildness in his eyes before, as if he were on the edge of losing all control. He paced. L never paced!

All of the sudden, he let out a strangled cry and threw a notebook across the room.

"Damn you!" he swore. "I never wanted you!"

"Boss, what exactly is going on here?" Wedy asked, propping a gloved hand on her leather-clad hip. She hadn't the time to change from her occupational catsuit before rushing to answer L's call. So she stood to a sloppily suited Aiber, her oversized sunglasses at home in her purse. She never liked going anywhere without them! Such a faux pa. At least her hair was spotless.

Aiber, ever the consummate suck up of a con man, presented a much less demanding demeanor. He tucked a stray curl of blond hair behind an ear and folded his hands together. "I must inquire the same," he said. "Can you not handle these two civilians alone? And they're unconscious, why the rush?"

There was a flash of silver.

Both criminals turned their heads to see L's favored darts embedded in the concrete wall, having scarcely missed their necks. They swallowed. This wasn't the odd, sugar maniac they were used to dealing with on missions.

"I have my confirmation. They are Kira! I just need...I need...answers! I need answers!"

"L..."

"Don't question me! Get them to the designated location and prep them for interrogation." L was breathing heavily now. "Strip them first. Leave nothing on their person. If you don't do as I say, it could be the death of us all."

Wedy paled, "Well why don't you kill them now and save us all some trouble?"

"Don't question me!"

"Fine boss, we'll do as you say," soothed Aiber. "C'mon Wedy. Let's get these two into transport."

"Pft. Fine. But you're doing the heavy lifting."

As they prepared their burdens for travel, L continued to pace, this time with a phone in his hand, orders being ushered in rapid fire. What was going on? There had to be some trigger to this behavior. Not wanting to get killed by L's twitchy temper, the two crooks stole away into the night with the Kiras.

**A/N: (We're rapidly approaching the end, folks. Please keep reading and reviewing. We have a few twists left to undue before it's over.)**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: **No reviews last chapter? Am I doing something wrong folks? Please tell me. ;_;

This chapter is dedicated to m.z. Who gave me a scrumptious idea brownie a few chapters back that's just a perfect spin.

**Fool's Gambit**

**By Catsitta**

23.

"What the hell?"

Aiber jerked the wheel of the van sharply to the left. Lights were flashing. A police blockade? Had someone found L out? He glanced up at the rear view mirror. Wedy was braced against the wall, one hand gripping the back of Misa Amane's shirt to keep the unconscious girl from falling on her face. Light Yagami hadn't gotten the special treatment. The boy was thrown by the sharp turn and laid askew on the metal floor, head lolled to the side. Aiber swore when he saw the teen's brows pinch together. He was waking up.

"You losing it up there?" shouted Wedy. Aiber yanked the van onto a side road. He could hear the sirens blare. Shit. They were definitely the target of this trap. But how? L would never send them into a situation like this...not unless he didn't know about it. He swore more when shots were fired. The clang of bullets made his ears ring.

This was bad. Even a top notch con man would have a tricky time explaining why he was dodging police blockades with a professional thief and two unconscious prisoners. It didn't help that one of said prisoners was the long time missing boy prodigy under suspect of being Kira.

BAM! One of those fucks got a lucky shot. Aiber floored the break, attempting to keep the van from skidding out of control. Wedy and Misa were thrown heavily as he nearly flipped the vehicle over. This wasn't good.

"Change of plan," he shouted.

Wedy nodded and grabbed the blonde girl. It took a few seconds, but she was out the back of the van in a flash, straddling a sleek black motorcycle. Which left Aiber with Yagami. He leapt from the drivers seat, intent on grabbing the boy and running, but he was already gone. The con man panicked. Where the hell could the kid have run off to?

"Put your hands up!" blared the voice of an approaching enforcer. "You're under arrest on the suspicion of kidnapping and high treason."

He took a step back. There had to be a plan. L always had a plan.

BANG!

No. This wasn't happening. Aiber's eyes slid to his chest.

Red stained his pristine suit.

.

Fear and adrenaline.

Light kept moving on those two things alone. All around her were enforcers in their uniforms of seamless pitch. She could hear sirens. See the flash of lights. Her plan, it was falling to pieces. She had to salvage her dream. The Oligarchy still stood. Two remained. L kept his files locked, so she never learned their names. But locations. She did learn that much. That and their station of control. Only the leader of the council and the head of national security remained.

She could do this.

She could bring them down. Make them pay. And L. Oh, he would suffer for this indignity. He was seduced. Yet he turned on her in an instant, knocked her unconscious and tied her like an asylum patient. There was a loose chain between her feet and her arms were bound tight with a straight jacket. Falling down now would make her fail her mission.

"You knew, you always knew," she muttered. "But now you act. Bastard."

It wounded her pride to know that her grand plan of destroying L with his own sense of justice had failed. Miserably. Light couldn't accept failure. Kira couldn't accept failure. She hadn't lost. She wouldn't lose. No. This rotten world would be purified. Once L and Oligarchy were gone, she would guide this chaos into holy war, let the violent storm polish this jagged society into one of peace. This was her destiny. She knew it from the moment she picked up that Death Note.

"Hyuk. Hyuk. Hyuk. My favorite human is in quite a predicament, isn't he?" Light gritted her teeth and ducked into an alleyway. She needed to listen for approaching footsteps and Ryuuk was distracting her with his obnoxious laughter. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to bring this world to justice."

"You've been saying that for a long time, Light."

"The stakes have been raised, Ryuuk. There isn't any time for further delays."

She was breathing heavier now. Months with little exercise had run their course. She was tired. Underused muscles protested the strain. Light wriggled slightly against the straight jacket's hold. This slow, tedious pace made her heart race. Made the fear set in faster. If she was caught, she was dead. Even if the government was ignorant of her being Kira, or even ignorant of her association with L, when they freed poor, kidnapped Light Yagami and discovered that the boy genius was a girl, they would execute her.

Light refused to die now. This way.

A hand closed over her mouth and jerked Light into the shadows.

This was it.

She screamed and struggled. An arm wrapped around her stomach and pulled her up. Light kicked her legs, but the chain tangled them up. This helplessness. It hurt.

"So Light...wanna make the deal? Hyuk. Hyuk."

The grinning shinigami was dancing in front of Light, her Death Note carelessly held in his clawed hand. No. She wouldn't bargain with the death god. She would survive this. She was going to be a god!

Her captor began to walk. Silent behind his helmet.

No shots were fired. He did not collapse of some twisted death. Light yanked her head away from his glove and tried to cry for help, but the hand returned, harder this time. Soon, they were surrounded by flashing lights and armed men. They didn't rush forwards. Not as they usual did. Instead they remained at their positions, allowing the man to walk through them like a General amongst his army.

"Is that? Light?! He's alive. Light! Ow! Aizawa, why did you hit me?"

"That's chief to you Matsuda."

"Where is he carrying Light? He isn't a criminal."

"Don't question your superiors, kid."

Light wanted to scream for a whole different reason. That damnable Matsuda was here and clearly still a loud mouth. Now everyone in a half mile radius knew exactly who was trussed up and being hauled off by a high ranked enforcer. Her reputation was ruined. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen!

Where was L?

That assassin would never let the government get away with this after their betrayal...right?

Not for the first time, Light was shoved into the back of a car, her eyes and mouth covered. Helpless. So helpless. Sickening. She was weak. Pathetic! He would die. This enforcer would be at the top of her list once she discovered his name.

Minutes passed. Long and terrifying. Was this her execution? She didn't want to die. This sick, twisted government was always the enemy. It was a rot. A festering wound. Now, she was caught in the infection, threatened to be consumed by it.

The car came to a stop and the door opened.

She could do little more than comply as the enforcer picked her up again.

By this time, she'd worked some of her shoulders free and the gag was loose. So she struggled more adamantly when she felt the kiss of air conditioning, and promptly spat the cloth away from her mouth.

"Where am I? What's going on? Let go of me!"

The enforcer shifted his grip on her.

"You can stop pretending," murmured a low, masculine voice. It was gentle, surprisingly, but firm. "I'm quite aware that you're not a boy."

Out of habit, she pitched her voice low, it was her savior in many of occasions. But how would this man know her secret? "What are you talking about?" she said. "Do you even know who I am? I'm..."

"Light Yagami, top scoring student in the national exams...teen prodigy. Yes, I'm quite aware."

"Then you know girls cannot go to To Oh University."

An elevator dinged.

The enforcer pushed a button.

"They can when they pose as male for the entirety of their schooling years."

Light abandoned the argument and tried to play the distressed card, "Please. Let me go. I just want to see my mother and sister. Me and my girlfriend were taken by this strange man, he kept threatening to kill us. We've been trapped for weeks."

"You know exactly who kidnapped you. Don't lie."

"I'm not lying! I don't know his name." _If I did, he'd be dead by now_, the Kira part of her added darkly. "I don't want to die."

DING!

The enforcer stepped off the elevator and carried her to a room. As the door shut behind them, he said at last, "Who said you were going to die?"

"B-but...you said..."

She was placed down on a chair of some kind. Slowly, the binding from around her eyes was untied and the face of her kidnapper was revealed. Light felt her heart still in her chest.

.

_Dark eyes stared down at her, glinting with humor. He was so serious all the time, never smiling, but she could see it. She could see the light in that cool gaze. Could feel the warmth. Light reached up, laughing as he looped his arms around her waist and held her in the air. She laughed. _

_"__More! More!"_

_And he swung her around in a circle._

_._

_"__It's too dangerous. Please, you can't do this!"_

_"__I have to. It's the only way to protect my family."_

_"__Why? Why do they want you dead?"_

_He sighed, eyes damp._

_"__Don't worry about me. I've dug my grave. Take the girls to safety."_

_"__What will we do?"_

_"__I have a plan. Just trust me."_

_._

_"__Mama? Why did you cut my hair?"_

_"__It's for your protection, Light."_

_._

_"__Where's daddy?"_

_"__H-he isn't coming home, sweetie."_

_._

_Light stared in the mirror. In her hands was a gleaming badge. On her head was a faded police cap. She gritted her teeth and let out a scream, ripping the hat from her head, the edges of the badge digging into her skin. Hastily cropped hair hung around her face. A boy. She was supposed to pretend to be a boy because her father wasn't coming home. He abandoned them. Why did he have to die! With another scream, she threw the badge at the mirror, shattering it._

_Footsteps thundered up the stairs._

_"__Light? What happened? Are you okay?"  
She hated this world. _

_Picking up a piece of glass, she jammed it into the remaining fractions of her reflection. Tears fell down her face as blood tricked down her arms. _

_She was only four years old._

_No one should feel this pain at four._

_But she felt it. She was aware. God, it hurt! Why couldn't she just be stupid! She would trade this awareness for her father's life. Please. Just bring him home. _

_"__Put the glass down!"_

_Light dropped it, but the scars were soul deep._

_._

"Impossible," Light whispered.

"It's been a long time, Light. Too long," said Soricho.

Father and daughter stared at each other, one with gentleness, the other with horror. A match struck inside of her. Igniting the inferno that burned hot ever since the day she realized that the man was never coming home.

"YOU'RE DEAD! WHY DIDN'T YOU STAY THAT WAY?"

Soricho recoiled from the violence of her accusation. She could see the sadness in his eyes. Those always cool, serious eyes. They no longer matched the color of his hair. Snowy locks proclaimed a lifetime of stress, for he was a young man. Hardly more than forty.

"I'm sorry Light. I...I never meant to hurt you or your mother, but it was the only way to keep you both safe. I was on death row, Light. I was supposed to be executed, but I was pardoned and contracted by the council was an advisor. I never learned how or why...Then late last year, they promoted me. I was positioned on the council to help make this country a safer place. I thought I could change things, make things right, give you and your sister a world worth living in. Change happens slowly, however, and it took me until three months ago to bring up a bill to grant permission for women to pursue a proper education and occupations. Then...then Kira came. I...I became very afraid that I would never see the day you would be free. That I would die. I had watched you for years. I was so proud of you. I just wanted to see you before Kira claimed me as another victim. Then...L, yes, I know about L, he grabbed you and called you Kira. The bastard. My daughter...never."

Light shook her head and growled, "What did you do?"

"I rescued you. Some rebellious enforcers went against orders and I thought you were dead after the bombing...but when I discovered you were alive. I had to free you. My Light. You're safe now."

"Are you insane?" Light twisted in the bindings. "You provoked an assassin! He's going to kill both of us."

"You'll be safe. I've always done what I had to, to keep you safe."

"Even betraying L and trying to kill him while I was in his custody?"

Soricho sighed and carded his hand through Light's hair, "A fool's gambit, yes, but we do what we must in a crisis."

Light wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or scream. Here she was, a hostage of her back from the dead father, who was a member of the cursed Oligarchy council. He was a threat, in more ways than one. And L, he wouldn't be easily deterred.

"Untie me."

Soricho nodded and began to release her bonds.

"I love you, Light. Never forget that."

The straightjacket fell to the floor.

A wry smile played on Light's lips.

Needs must.

-tbc-

**A/N: (Surprise? Please review!)**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: **My mom's visiting today, so an early day post for you folks. Also on the short side 'cause I got some chores to do before she gets here. +stares at clean laundry in bin that needs hanging+ Anywho~

Shoutout to Ubermarine, snickermoon814, cygnusx10a and Fanfictionlurker1 for your reviews.

cygnusx10a: It pains me to post these chapters as they are, to be honest. Because normally I try to be careful with pacing and consider all of my characters' arc of growth and try to keep all my plot holes filled. But with the nature of this challenge, I'm telling the story day-by-day, not always knowing what is coming next. I have an ending now. So I'm working towards that. But the jerkiness is something I am aware of and had I been writing this over a period of months instead of days, I would have done my best to smooth things out. And kept my chapter lengths vaguely consistent. Also, thank you, I wanted to keep Light as IC as possible. It always confused me why a character would change his/her personality when genderbent. Sure, SHE has her quirks, but I always strive to keep them within the realm of possibility of Light's natural behavior. Which includes batshit crazy. Which is fun to write.

Fanfictionlurker1: Because of the nature of the "30 day challenge" I put myself under, I more or less just wrote what came to mind. So yes, there are moments that are a stretch of the imagination, but I hope the over all story makes those moments forgivable. And yes, L got out of hand for a while. But every story needs a villain, eh? He more-or-less filled that role for the first few chapters.

**Fool's Gambit**

**By Catsitta**

24.

"Do you know how mom and Sayu are doing?"

Soricho glanced up from where he was kneeling, attempting to free Light from the chains cuffed to both ankles. She smothered a manic giggle. Her father, one of the last members of the Oligarchy, former chief of police, was supplicant at her feet. Weak. He was weak. He deserved Kira's judgement for his weakness. Light rested her hands lightly on the arms of the chair—a poised king of death upon his throne of bones.

The bindings fell away.

She was free of all tethers.

"I cannot say," Soricho confessed with gravity. "There was a protest in their neighborhood three days ago. Neither myself or my men have been able to access the situation." She watched him tremble. "Even if they do live, I fear that I will lose them when I am given the Doomsday order."

"L's findings were correct. The government is planning to slaughter its people!"

"Light, calm down. Please. I don't want this to happen. I've never wanted any of this."

Sniveling wretch. Begging on his knees. He did not even realize he was pleading mercy with god. With Kira. She crossed her legs and focused her gaze through the window. They were the heart of the city. All around were skyscrapers.

Movement drew he attention back, where she found her father watching her with pain in his eyes. "You aren't wearing your bindings," Soricho said. Of all the things to say in a moment like this. She frowned. "And your shirt is half unbuttoned..." His hand brushed the loose collar, revealing the nape her neck. "Bruises...Why are you covered in bruises?" Now he decides to be the protective, considerate father. Light slapped his hand away.

"L's employees were not gentle when transporting a Kira suspect. I was thrown around in the van when the tried to escape police."

"Light..."

She narrowed her eyes. Wickedness lapped up her spine.

"I've been in the custody of an assassin for two months. One of the first things he did after he kidnapped me was shove his hands down the front of my pants," Light said, savoring the growing horror on the man's face. "Why do you THINK I'm in the state I'm in? Hmph. He probably would have simply killed me if I were in actuality a boy. A small mercy."

"H-he...he..."

"What? Can't say the word? He couldn't either. Didn't like it when I said he was no better than the rapists he arrested." Some of the best lies were crafted with truths. "I'll survive. He isn't going to get away with how he treated me."

Arms wrapped around her shoulders. She felt his face press against her neck as he embraced his daughter. Had Light been Light alone without Kira in her brain, it would have been easy to latch onto that childhood innocence again and weep with him. But that girl was gone. In her place was something stronger. Something that did not see the point in crying over sad stories and family reunions.

Laughter filled her ears.

Ryuuk held the Death Note between his clawed fingers and meaningfully dangled it above her head. He turned and dropped it, allowing the book to land on the small table beside the chair, camouflaged by the scattered papers and note books that adorned nearly every flat surface.

"Father...Dad..." Soricho kept his hold tight. Pathetic. "Daddy~I need to ask you something."

He jerked back, surprised by her girlish tone. Light blinked owlishly at him, mimicking the hurt stare her sister used when she wished to avoid trouble.

"Yes. Anything."

"Can I have a pen?"

"P-pen?"

"Yes. A pen. Any kind will do."

"C-certainly," he stepped back and fumbled around his belongings for a minute. Light picked up the Death Note and opened it to a blank page. When Soricho extended his hand, she accepted the ball point with a sweet grin. "What are you writing?"

"You'll see."

A few minutes later, Light flexed an aching hand and stared up at her father. He was pale as a sheet. The command was setting in.

"I'm terribly sorry, _Daddy._But I am on a tight schedule."

"What...what are you?"

She snapped the Death Note shut and flashed the cover, showing the stark white letters.

"Kira of course. L is the best detective in the world, after all. He's never wrong."

Light bit her lip coyly as Soricho's face went slack, eyes void of free will.

"Now, do what God has asked of you."

"Yes, Light."

The former police chief fetched a laptop and thick folder of important documents. She picked them up and laughed.

"Oh President Kyosuke Higuchi III. I've been waiting for this moment for years."

She stared at the red-haired man's arrogant profile. Higuchi was the direct descendant of one of the founding members of the Oligarchy, whom were initially a board of businessmen known as the Yotsuba Group. In their desire to make the Yotsuba company the most powerful in Japan, they tangled themselves in politics, and later, became the government itself. It was a haphazard affair, an accidental trip into power. Their greed corrupted their capitalistic intentions and soon the world suffered. It was sickening. How could such a thing happen? Who would allow it?

Light shuddered, utterly shaking with hatred.

Lowering her pen to paper, Kira prepared herself for complete revolution. Her dream was about to become reality.

BAM!

The door slammed open.

-tbc-

**A/N: (Now who could that be? Reviews are loved! See ya'll tomorrow.)**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: **This chapter is kinda eh. I'm having an off day and don't really want to write. So I apologize for the oddness. Anywho~On other news, I got my Ace ring in the mail today. It's going to take a while to get used to wearing a ring on my right hand. My class ring is on my left 'cause the chunky band just drives me batty when I write or draw.

Shoutout to Guest, snickermoon814 and pfft.

Guest: No, Sayu actually doesn't know her big brother is a sister. Fun fact, yeah~

Fanfictionlurker1: Light's acting. She's pretending to be upset with him about taking her from L to play up his emotions. She is startled by her father being alive, and so her reactions are a little heightened.

snickemoon814: Tis the way the death note works~

**Fool's Gambit**

**By Catsitta**

25.

"Stop! Don't do it, Light."

Laughter. Soft and crazed. Light sneered at L with madness clouding those brilliant eyes. He shook his head. This is what the Death Note did to people. It tempted each owner with power and either frightened them with its magnitude or destroyed their minds with its corruption. She was sinking into the depths of a mental hell, lost to reason and affection.

L adjusted his grip on the gun in his hands.

"Too late," Light whispered, closing the book. A few seconds later and there was a thump. Soricho Yagami was on his knees, clutching his chest, staring up at the monster his daughter had become. Spittle dribbled from the corner of his mouth as he choked on unspoken words and lost years. Then he felt limp, eyes glassy as a china doll's. He had done all he could to save this child, but her mission made no room for the bonds of family. L trembled. "I've done it. Because of you, I've done it. The Oligarchy is dead. Aren't you happy? They betrayed you. Turned their backs on their contract and made an attempt on your life. I thought we agreed that the Oligarchy needed to fall."

"Not this way," L murmured. True, he was angry with the betrayal. One did not burn an assassin and expect to live to see the end of his days, but this...he did not want this. Their fall was needed, but this glut of death...even L was growing ill on its taste. "Light, you are under arrest for murder and high treason. Anything you say, can and will be used against you in a court of law..."

The teen lunged to the ground, swiping a pistol from the corpse's belt and aiming it at L's head.

"Put that down."

"I'm not going to jail."

"I wouldn't worry overmuch. The UN is unlikely to allow Kira to remain alive. He is dangerous."

"You don't get it do you, L? Nothing will stop me from saving the world from itself and making this planet safe for all the good people. They deserve to live without fear, without war, without worry of murder or rape. I'm going to craft a utopia and no one will stop me. Not even you."

He should have never hesitated. In the past, L never had any trouble pulling the trigger and executing the men who needed to disappear. It was what made him efficient. Feared. He was cold, ruthless and calculating. He never failed to determine, catch and nullify a target.

BANG!

BANG!

L tasted blood in his mouth. Through blurring eyes, he saw Light gasping, crimson staining her pristine button up. There was innocence in the pain. She was afraid to die. He dropped his gun and shuffled to her side, easily knocking the pistol from her hand and slipping the Death Note away. She stared at him with wide eyes, clearly struggling to remain standing. Getting shot was a traumatic experience. It would be easy for her to fall into shock.

Slowly, the pair sank to their knees together. L knew they needed medical assistance before they died of blood loss, but he was trapped in a dazed trance.

Was this love?

Is this what that cursed emotion wrought?

Because despite everything, the suffering and betrayal and blood, L still felt his aching heart flutter with mercy and devotion. He was a slave to it. It was a weapon too keen. Light didn't love him, he knew this well. She used him. Tricked him. And with devastating swiftness, started a revolution of global proportion. But the thought of her dying was the greatest of agonies.

"Light," he whispered, touching her clammy face. "I still love you."

Those pained eyes hardened for a moment.

"You're an idiot!"

Yes. He was.

Reaching to his belt, he pulled out the handcuffs and secured Light's wrists.

"For there to be justice, Kira must die." He watched as a thread of blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. "Come. We need to get that wound of yours treated."

It was an endless game of push and pull, pain and and delight. It was L's duty to bring an end to Kira, but his employers betrayed him and he fell in love with the suspect. Then his suspect turned lover spurned his affections and betrayed him as well. He had nothing but duty, the cost of justice too great for one man to bear.

L was a selfish, childish, arrogant man. He hated to lose and would ruthless pursue his desires even if it hurt everyone involved. He did not get curious, he became obsessed. These were facts. And these were the things reflected in the woman in his arms.

She was a desperate child in a broken world, who was given a tool that whispered dark promises in your ear that spoke to the toothy shadows in your heart. She killed to create what she felt was a better world, to take down the government that did so many harm for decades. The mind could only take so much before it snapped.

L knew.

He'd bent under the pressure earlier, when he'd knocked out Misa and Light in hope to neutralize them before more died. He panicked and lost himself to the years of numbing training. Now, he was calmer, could see more clearly. And with these clear eyes, he saw the raw wounds rent by circumstance and human passions.

"What do you mean?"

L picked up the frail teen, ignoring his own wound as best as possible.

"Exactly what I said. I love Light and Kira must die. This is the only way for justice to be regained."

Turning, L made for the door.

It was time for the Kira case to be closed for good.

-tbc-

**A/N: (Hm...what is L planning? And I have at least one more twist for you before this tale closes up. See you tomorrow.)**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: **I woke up with a pounding head ache that refuses to go away. I hope this chapter makes sense.

**Also! Looking for a beta reader for a DN fic I'm writing that is M/M, is LxLight and is very AU with Light as a demon. It's prolly going to be a one shot, unless it gets too out of hand in length, and then I might turn it into a multi-part tale. If anyone wants to beta read for me in the near future, just shoot me a PM. Thankies~**

Shoutout to snickermoon814. Thanks for reviewing.

**Fool's Gambit**

**By Catsitta**

26.

"She will be fine, sir."

L pulled his gaze away from Light's unconscious body. Powerful anesthetic kept her under, despite the wound at her shoulder being long since treated. These doctors knew very little, believing the lie that he told them through his voice filtering phone as L. As far as they knew, he was Ryuuzaki, a field agent in the infamous detective's employ, and Light was the fiancee he was attempting to take back to his home country since the war was escalating. They were injured in the cross fire between civilian and police, a common enough occurrence these past few days.

He shuddered.

Japan was at the heart of a war. If something wasn't done soon, half the world would collapse into self destruction. All because of a little black book, a girl and a corrupt government that drove her into the embrace of wicked temptation.

It did not take much to topple this glass kingdom.

"Are you certain you do not wish to rest?"

"It was just a scratch," L mumbled. Fortunately, his shot caused Light's aim to go wildly askew and the bullet grazed his ribs instead of his brain. It was a nasty cut that bled heavily, but stitches were enough to mend the damage. Light needed the metal removed from bone. It was possible she would lose a great amount of mobility in that arm, even with physical therapy.

The nurse, an older gentleman with cropped blond hair, conceded the argument gracefully. He knew better than to question L, or anyone in his employ. Which meant L could do as he pleased with his own health.

As he exited the room, L bowed his head against steepled fingers.

They were poison for each other, causing nothing but wounds. The earliest moments in their relationship emphasized a strong imbalance of power and were rife with violence. Hitting, yelling and threatening—none of these things were indicators of a healthy relationship being born. But in those short weeks where Light was not Kira, he saw something precious.

L and Kira burned hot and cold, conflicting storms of fire and ice.

Ryuuzaki and Light did little more than argue.

But L and Light. Quirky detective and innocent suspect. The bickered but mended, both willing to bend, to weather each others passions.

He closed his eyes.

"Watari, I miss you. I'm not sure what to do anymore."

_Hyuk. Hyuk. Hyuk._

L jerked from his almost prayer to see a clownish monster hovering over Light's bed.

"Well isn't this interesting."

"Shinigami?"

It swiveled its grinning head in L's direction, "Hello human. Got any apples?"

"Apples?"

"Yeah. With Lighty-boy here out of commission, there's been no one to give me apples."

The detective glanced around the room and spied the tray of food the orderly brought around earlier. On it was a sad, little green apple, but he doubted the Shinigami would care all too much. L picked the fruit up and held it out. The monster's eyes lit up.

It reached for the treat.

L pulled his hand back, staring down the Shinigami with his hardest gaze.

"Awe, no fair. I want that."

"What is your name Shinigami?"

"Ryuuk," it said simply. "Now gimmie!"

"No. I have questions."

"Hyuk, What makes you think I'll answer?"

L grimaced. This would take some work.

.

Three tedious hours of mind games later found L with Light's Death Note open on his lap and Ryuuk munching happily on his miserable excuse of an apple. He stared at the final entry, not quite sure how he felt.

_Kyosuke Higuchi III, dies of a heart attack after retracting his war on Kira and the people of Japan. _

It was both longer and shorter than expected. It was more than just a name that would snuff out her foe in less than a minute, but it was not a detailed account of exactly what she wished done to restore order to the collapsing government. If L had entered later, he wondered if there would be an expansive list of orders for the remaining member of the Oligarchy.

"So, whatcha gonna do now?" He blinked up at the death god. "You own a Death Note, have Light's in your hands, and two humans who you can easily prove guilty of being 're in quite the position of power. In fact, you could take over the world if you wanted to."

"What gave Ryuuk the idiotic idea I want to do that?"

The shinigami chuckled, "Human nature. I've watched your kind attempt just that for centuries."

L snapped shut the Death Note. He hated the feel of it against his skin.

"No. I'm going to restore order and kill Kira. Then I'm going to rid this planet of these damnable books of death."

"Kill Kira? Hyuk. Hyuk. Hyuk. Suuure you will."

Suddenly, black wings thrashed the air and the death god disappeared from sight. Useless thing. Just brought nothing but misfortune.

"Kira has to die," he murmured, eyes falling yet again on Light. His fingers tightened on the book. L slipped his phone from his pocket. It rang thrice.

"Where the hell are you!?"  
L leaned away from the speaker, "Wedy. Do please be quiet. I have neutralized Light. He will be ready for pick up this evening."

-tbc-

**A/N: (Four more chapters until the end. One last turn before we're done. Also, I will be doing a sequel to this, but it will likely be much more...fluid and organized. I actually have a story arc for that one and won't be running around with a random idea like a headless chicken. Anywho~ It will be called House of Cards, and will be an alternate ending to this tale. There will be a 31st, epilogue chapter added to this story as well. Anywho~ See you tomorrow. Please, please review. Like it, love it, hate it or have wild theories, just toss them my way. Thank you!)**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: **A big thank you and shout out to ObviouslyADeathNoteFan, who is currently helping me beta a new Death Note story. It's gonna be crazy, with a very sassy Light as a demon and a somewhat more self aware L as the detective who caught him. Keep an eye out for that in the near-ish future. More than a week, less than a month, I expect. It's projected to be around 20K words when I'm done. Maybe less...

Anywho~onto this kinda short, transitional chappy. The next one will be where the action picks back up for the big finale!

**Fool's Gambit**

**By Catsitta**

27.

"This is it, huh?"

L nodded to Wedy, who was driving, unable to drag his eyes from Light's unconscious, bound body. She looked so fragile this way, clothed in little more than a paper hospital gown against black, leather seats. He refrained from stroking her hair. It had grown at least an inch or two since they met, the tousled locks no longer quite as prim and boyish as before. There was even a slight curl to the ends that promised bounciness and volume when long. Light probably hated it. She was always so neat and trim. Having her hair this length must have been maddening.

He imagined her with a cascade of auburn down her slim back, tumbling across muscular shoulders and framing that almost masculine face. It was a funny sight, but lovely all the same.

"Never figured you'd be one of those people making this kind of choice."

"Pardon?" L gave in to his urges and stroked a piece of Light's hair.

Wedy gave a brittle laugh, "Oh, sweetheart, it's plain as day that you love that boy...girl...that you fell in love with Kira. I guess it makes sense. The hero falling in love with the villain. Every crime drama twists that plot around, but let me tell you, it never ends well. Someone always dies. Usually the hero."

L wanted to grin at the irony. He and Light discussed on occasion how they were not a romance novel in the making. Letters never became lovers and she never returned his feelings. Wedy was right, they were in a crime drama. Light played him the fool and despite his every effort to save them both, they were trapped in the mess she made. A stronger man would have ended this months ago.

When did he become so weak?

"Who is really the villain in the story?" L said after the silence became too tense to bear. "I make people disappear for a living and was contracted by the government who created the need for someone like Kira. She saw herself as Justice, believed she was doing right. She simply lost herself along the way."

This time, Wedy's laugh was more earnest.

"Her little trip through self discovery killed thousands and started a revolution that may destroy half the civilized world."

"It was time for a change, was it not?"

"Every hear of butterflies and hurricanes?"

"Yes. A single flap of a butterfly's wings can cause a hurricane on the other side of the globe. The smallest of actions by an individual can domino into a catastrophic event."

"Well, this butterfly had a machine gun and an agenda."

"Curious metaphor."

Wedy's leather gloved creaked as she gripped the steering wheel tighter.

"At least it will be over."

L cast his gaze out the window. Yes, it would be over soon. And that fact made his heart ache all the more.

-tbc-

**A/N: (Three more chapters to go...though, my Epilogue may end up chapter thirty instead of thirty-one, as initially planned. A big part of me wants to just finish this, so I can fix it. xD That, and move onto the alternate ending, which I've actually planned, unlike with this story where I'm throwing darts at a wall when I have a free moment to write. Please, please review. It's very important to me to have feedback, even on 30 day challenges like this as compared to my more serious, thought out works.)**


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: **I need to stop falling asleep after work...also, once this fic is finished, I do want to give it a good breakdown and scrub to make it more sensible and polished. If I have any volunteers to help me~ ^_^ Anywho~

Shoutout to trigonita and Fanfictionlurker1 for reviewing.

trigonita: I'll go place the link for the translation up on my profile. And perhaps when I do a rehaul on this fic, I'll mention it being translated there as well. Good luck with your translating the rest of the story. I hope I don't throw you off too much when I do my edits.

Fanfictionlurker1: As I've mentioned, I wanted to challenge myself to write every day to get me back in the swing of things due to college being a drain on my time and energy. So, this fic suffered for it, I know, but it's my baby all the same and I hope to give it a proper reboot and an actually thought out "ending". Which will be for the hopeless romantics out there.

**Fool's Gambit**

**By Catsitta**

28.

"It's time to wake up."

That voice. L...The thick of unconsciousness was suffocating. Light wanted to breech the surface, but she was drowning in black, unable to break free. Limbs she knew she possessed, hung heavily as stone as she bid her sluggish blood to run. Her heart. She could heart it's meager pulse. It throbbed quietly in the blur of this half-dream, deafening in its singularity. Light needed to fight. She needed to wake up. Tired. She was so very, very tired.

Why did she have to wake up again?

Cold.

Light gasped as she was drenched in prickling ice. She felt her numb fingers convulse and sticky eye lids twitch. Her mouth was dry, as if she had slept with a jar of cotton balls in it. Consciously, she wet sour lips with a tongue that felt twice as large as , she peeled her eyes open into narrow slits, the world a smear of too-bright lights for a startling instant. With a groan, Light shook away the last vestiges of her unnatural slumber and shakily grabbed onto awareness.

Light drew in a sharp breath.

L stood no less than six inches from her, dead eyes riveted on Light's face.

"Light is awake. I was starting to worry."

"What?" It was hard to speak. Light shook her head slightly, trying to shed the fuzz. "'m alive?"

The detective reached forwards to wipe Light's fringe from her eyes. Damp locks rebelliously refused to remain behind her ear, but those gentle fingers were persistent, coaxing each strand with meandering patience. "Did Light think I would murder him in his sleep?" L asked as he smoothed the last hair away from unfocused eyes.

Light jerked her head back, regaining her sensibilities, "You should have!"

"Oh? Is Kira now suicidal? His grand quest to overturn the Oligarchy is over and his bid for world domination thwarted, so he throws himself upon the assassin for death? How cliché."

"I'm not Kira!"

L smiled nastily, "I'm not a fool."

"I'm not," Light said. "I never wanted that foul name. I'm not a killer, I'm trying to make this world better, safer."

"Light killed countless people in his throw for power. He is a killer."

"If you believed that, would I be alive right now?"

"Pardon?"

Light could see the familiar weakness on L's face. They were both geniuses after all. Loops and attacks the one made, the other could predict and maneuver. Her mind was racing wildly now. Her brain now in full gear. Tawny eyes flicked around her surroundings. She was in some kind of isolation room, her wrists and legs bound to a chair, a single TV monitor with no feed flickering in the corner. A spot beam shinned down like an interrogation from God.

This was the last stop a person ever made kind of place.

She could picture the torture clearly. Rumors of rooms like these saturated the grapevine of Japan's students, about places where people ended up if they cross the government. It did not surprise her that L brought her to such a place. It was fitting that a mass murdered died here, unknown and nameless.

Fear fluttered in her gut like a trapped bird, desperate to return to that watercolor sky, back to ignorance and days of innocence. Because she was innocent no longer. Circumstance stole her childhood, society stole her identity, the government stole her choice, L stole her virtue and Kira...Kira stole her hope.

If only she knew L's name from the start. No one would have stood in her way of creating a perfect world. She would have risen above her miserable existence as a hero and god. Now her dreams were shattering...and with it, she felt her sanity crumble. Without Kira, Light was just a child in a big, bad world on the brink of war. And now she was paying the price for revolution.

"L..If you truly believed my cause to be evil, my motives that of a murderer, you would have killed me a long time ago." Light's voice was saccharine. "L..."

"Shut her up before you do something stupid."

Light gasped quietly, head tilting up at the sound of Wedy's voice filtering in through a speaker. The thief was alive? She glanced again at L, was was backing away, nodding as if the blonde bitch had just offered sage advice.

"Kira has to die," L said plainly. "Today, for the world to see, Kira's execution will be broadcast over both television and radio channels. This is to stabilize the polarized state of affairs in the Oligarchy as well as neutralize a national threat."

"No...You...You can't do this!"

L nibbled on his thumb, as was his habit, eyes rolled towards the ceiling, "I have orders." He motioned at a gleaming camera on the wall, "Wedy. It's time."

Eyes wide with horror, Light struggled in her bonds, but the chair was bolted to the floor and her chains were digging into her wrists. The cuffs that bound her feet together rattled noisily as she prepared herself to kick the detective, but her thrashing seemingly did not faze him.

L rounded the chair, came to stand behind Light. She felt his hand against her neck, cool and clammy. What was he going to do? Was he going to snap her neck?

Hyuk. Hyuk. Hyuk.

Light shuddered as she heard the shinigami's disembodied laughter. Was he there, just waiting for those land dreadful seconds before the end? Sadistic bastard.

_"__Should have made the eye deal, Light."_

"NO! Stop, please. Don't do this!"

L's hand rested against her spine, tilted her head back forcefully. This was not how it was supposed to end. She seduced the detective to prevent this from happening! How could he believe that he had the right to kill her after everything?

She clamped her eyes shut, unable to look at that traitors face.

Her rival had won.

"Light needs to open his eyes."

So he could watch the life fade out of them?

Light stubbornly kept them shut until L pulled at her lids. Hissing in pain, she opened them and glared up at her enemy. He blinked down at her.

His hand buried in her hair and L forced her to look at the corner of the room. There, the little TV monitor was flickering to life. Suddenly, it came into focus and Light's heart nearly stopped at what she saw.

Sitting in a room akin to her own, bound to a table, eyes covered as she begged for mercy, was Misa Amane.

-tbc-

**A/N: (What is happening? Two more chapters then the epilogue. I will likely be publishing the first chapter of the alternate ending, House of Cards, on the same day as the epilogue. It'll be a daily thing as well, but it will be shorter and I actually have a set order of events in mind. Also, it will probably be less drabblish than this. Keep reviewing! Feedback is love.)**


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: **Mmm. Went to the beach today after work. Was nice to sit in the sun and run around like a little kid and chase my roommate through knee-high waves. Anywho~

Shoutout to Guest, cygnusx10a, Fanfictionlurker1,Nagareboshi-chan, Mithari, and trigonita for making last chapter the most reviewed chapter yet!

Fanfictionlurker1: Karma rolls around, even for L.

Mithari: Thank you for your review. It made me smile when I read it. To be honest, I'm a sucker for a happy ending, but I also know that sometimes tales close on a sad note and that is far more fulfilling at times. If you are a romantic, stick around for House of Cards. I hope to see another review from you again, and even if not, I hope you continue to enjoy what remains of this story and others I may come to tell in the future.

Onto the show peeps! Second to last chappie~

**Fool's Gambit**

**By Catsitta**

29.

"Please, let me go! I didn't do anything. I'm not Kira!"

L watched Light's face flicker through a thousand emotions, then drain of all color. He wondered what she thought of this turn of events. He wondered if she knew that it was her fault he was suffering this weakness. A good man would have executed them both before things got this far, but L had come to realize that he was not a good man. A Just one, but even that judgement faltered when love tangled its way into his brain.

There was no logic in this ploy, just feeling and prayer. He was not a gambling man. But here he laid his hopes in a final roll of God's dice. Black eyes shifted from Light to the madly laughing shinigami. He read the Death Note's rules, he knew that the user of the book could go to neither heaven nor hell, their final breath stolen away by the shinigami whom held dominion over the Death Note they used. Black wings fluttered in a nonexistent breeze. Was this an omen?

No. Not if everything went to plan.

L looked up at the monitor. He could see Misa struggling, heard her begging. She wasn't going to live much longer anyway. Her death would not matter. He recalled the doctor's report before he pulled her from the hospital. People did not do well after having their insides scrambled. This would be a quicker, gentler end than what awaited Miss Amane.

But Light did not know that.

She did not know many things.

He frowned when he saw a white shape move between the camera and Miss Amane. Ah, Rem. The keeper of Misa's Death Note, the one he was going to burn once this whole disaster was over. L watched as Rem passed a monstrous hand over Misa's body, calming her. She quieted, her lips barely moving as she spoke with the death god. It did not matter if she gave up the book now.

"Are...are you going to kill Misa instead of me?" Light whispered, drawing L's attention back to her.

"No," it was the truth. "I'm killing Kira."

"Kira..."

L walked over to where he'd placed Light's Death Note. The foul thing radiated dark power, utterly oozed pride. This was the thing warping her beyond saving. But when she did not have her memories...she was good. Prideful and arrogant, yes, but innocent. He wanted that innocence back. He wanted to save her, but only she could take that final, fateful step.

He picked the note up and came to stand in front of Light, one hand in his back pocket, two fingers holding the Death Note, his whole body slouched forwards. Light's eyes brightened with something akin to insanity. This creature before him was broken.

"If Light gives up his Death Note, then Kira will die with Miss Amane."

Light stared at him with disbelief, "That is your ultimatum? That simple?"

"Not quite. Light, as far as the records are concerned, is dead. If he gives up the Death Note, I will take him someplace safe, allow him to start a new life away from this country. The details of government have a way of sorting themselves out."

"I have nothing to lose..."

"Misa takes the full blame," L said. "No guilt?"

Light pursed her lips, "I never wanted her involved in the first place."

"Hm...so what will it be Light? Will you give up your divine quest or will you die for your cause?"

She glanced between the screen and the Death Note, stoic, but he knew she was torn.

"Why? Why give me this choice?"

"Because I love you. And love makes men fools."

Hyuk. Hyuk. Hyuk. Ryuk's laughter was becoming overbearing now, it was hard to hear himself think. What was making the shinigami laugh so loudly? L clenched the Death Note tightly.

"Give it up, Light."

"I..."

She was faltering; he was going to win. He could save her!

"Aaaaaaah! I can't take this anymore!"

Both L and Light jerked their head's towards the monitor. Misa was thrashing convulsively now, blood trickling from her wrists. Two men came to stand at either side to hold her down. She would be reviving lethal injection once L gave the word.

Rem stood behind her head and that single yellow eye stared into the camera.

Her hands came to rest over Misa's shoulders.

"Now, Misa. Please. Don't foolishly sacrifice yourself for Kira."

Misa nodded.

"Light! I know you can hear me. I know his name..."

"No!"

"...it's L..."

"Cut the feed!"

"Lawliet."

The screen went dark. L turned to face Light. Her head was bowed and she was chuckling softly.

"So. Your name really is L."

Letter's never become the hero of the romance novels.

The shinigami's mad laughter became howls.

.

L Lawliet.

A name. She had a name. But she also had a chance to escape. All she had to do was give up the Death Note. Ha. L had proven himself a liar. Would the obsessive man ever let her go?

Tawny eyes met black.

SNAP!

-tbc-

**A/N: (Heh. What is happening there at the end. -shifty eyes- Did y'all really think Misa was the twist? Gotta finish big folks. So, what does everyone think is going to happen? Thoughts? Comments? Crazy predictions for the next chapter, epilogue or even the alternate ending for your hopeless romantics? Like it, love it, hate it- please review. Your feedback is important, even this late in the game. One more chapter folks. Then the 30 day challenge is over and I'll post the epilogue and the first chapter of House of Cards. )**


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: **This is it, the final chapter. The epilogue and alternate endings are both optional reads, if that is what you prefer.

Anywho~Shout out to snickermoon814, guest and trigonita for your reviews.

Without further hesitation.

**Fool's Gambit**

**By Catsitta**

30.

Impossible.

One second, Light was sitting passively, giggling; the next, the room filled with a deafening snap and she was no longer sitting. Had something broken the chains? No. Crimson gushed from maimed wrists. Light had broken bones.

Hesitation was the enemy of opportunity.

L paused.

Light lunged. He felt her hands close on the cover of the Death Note and their eyes bore into the other's.

Desperation. All that lurked within was animal instinct clawing to win the battle. Light was gone. She was willing to mangle her hands into near uselessness just to seize a chance at power. L felt the third betrayal of the Kira case sink its teeth into his stupid heart. Light did not love him. All she wanted was to use him to bring the world to its knees. Well, she'd done it. She was the forceful hand of change that crushed the Oligarchy and left dissension in its place.

He felt the Death Note slip from his fingers, Light's blood slicking the cover.

"Stop!" L grabbed the book properly, hands clenched around it in a white-knuckled grip. Light struggled for a moment, then leapt, knocking a startled L off his feet. She grabbed the Death Note and scrambled to her feet, which were shackled together still by a mere twelve inches of chain. Light began to laugh manically.

"Lawliet! Haha! Lawleeee!"

The Death Note opened to pristine pages in the center of her palm. Light couldn't possibly hold a pen, even if she had access to one, but it did not matter. Hand dripping with blood, she began to etch out the letters of his name.

"You should have never tried to stop me. I'm going to cleanse this rotten world, make it safe for the good and just. Those criminals and politicians...those corrupt police...they all deserve to burn IN HELL! NOW YOU WILL JOIN THEM, L LAWLIE-"

BANG!

"Guh...What...?"

Light's eyes went glassy, void of the insanity that poisoned her mind. A small hole gushed blood from her shoulder. The arm poised to smear the last letter of L's name went limp. She blinked at L, who held his gun in quivering hands.

"I didn't..." L had frozen. The bullet wasn't his. "Light?" He reached out towards his wounded lover, heart breaking into pieces.

"I knew you would fuck up."

"Wedy?"

L's eyes flicked over Light's shoulder to where the blond stood, smoking pistol in hand.

"If you won't kill Kira, I will. I'm not letting you die because of your pathetic obsession with a girl who hates your guts and wants you over-sized head on a platter."

"Why?"

"Why? WHY? You ask me this after all these years? It's because-Ah! N-no..." Wedy suddenly buckled at the knees, gun clattering to the floor as she gripped her chest.

Light giggled, "Mary Kenwood. Criminal. Both L and the Oligarchy were watching you~Ha. Haha." L shivered. Light had managed to write the thief's name down with one of her unbroken fingers., using the elbow of her good arm to prop the book open. When had Light gotten such sensitive information?

Idiot. He was nothing more than an idiot, thinking that Light would leave his computer well enough alone, and even if she didn't get Wedy's name from him, there was no telling how much information she obtained from her father's files before L detained her. Now a good woman was dead. All because of Kira, L was alone. He had his heirs back at Whammy's House, but they were too young to inherit his title. And with Watari gone, who would act as guardian and envoy? L had contacts, but his most trusted "criminals" were dead, one at the hands of the police, the other stained on the pages of a notebook.

"Drop the book, Light! Give it up!"

"Now why would I do that?"

She moved trembling fingers, a clear challenge as she began to shape L's name. This was the moment of no return. The moment of choice. He watched as she made a shaky swoop for an e then-

BANG!

Light gasped, smudging the bloody name. The bullet hit her in the arm.

BANG!

This one ripped through her chest.

She whimpered, "You...You can't do this...No. NO!"

Somehow, she found the strength to run, leaving behind a trail of blood as she hobbled through the open door into the hallway. It was dark. Neither of them could see. L hurried in pursuit.

"Give up! Let go of the Death Note!"

He heard her cough. It was a sickly, rattling thing.

"I'll...be...g-god. I...am...g-god. M-make t-this world p-pure."

L grabbed Light and pulled her into the bleeding glow of a dim luminescent bulb. He pulled the Deah Note from her hands and touched her face. She was ashen. Crimson trickled from the corner of her mouth as she fought to remain conscious. L bowed his head and pressed his lips to her clammy brow.

"Give up, Light. No need to keep fighting."

He spoke softly, soothingly, but he could feel his voice threatening to crack. Despite everything, he didn't want Light to die. Not this way. Not in the place. It didn't suit her. Her wrapped his arms around her.

"L...lawliet."

"Yes. Light is the only one who knows that name," he whispered, reaching one hand into his pocket and flipping open the phone. He pressed the emergency button. Help would come soon. "If Light just holds on, I'll keep him safe. Light won't need to be Kira anymore."

"N-not...K-kira..."

"No. Light doesn't like that name, does he? Very well."

"S-she...I'mma g-girl..."

L brought her head to his chest, "Light is a beautiful woman, one that I love very much."

"D-don't l-lie."

He felt a tear creep down his cheek, "I'll say it a million times if I have to. I love you. I love you. I love...Light? Light!"

L gave her a slight shake, but her head rolled to the side. Was she breathing?

"LIGHT! Don't leave me!"

She was poison. She crept like acid through his veins, destroying him with brutal intensity. She took, and took, and never gave. But she was precious. A compulsive liar and an unstable mass murderer, but she was his. He loved her. Why did everything he love leave him?

"LIGHT!"

The sound of booted feet filled the hallway.

"I love you."

**-fin-**

**A/N: (Hm. Tomorrow I will post an epilogue and the first chapter of House of Cards. I think my peeps can guess what happens next, ne? I wanted to parallel this story to that of the anime, which was why I made certain references throughout. So, a few chapters back, I realized what that meant. See y'all, perhaps for the last time, tomorrow. This tale is over. You can interpret as you will, take whichever ending you mind wishes, or you can continue reading, which I hope you do. **

**As always, love it, hate it, have any wild theories to toss my way? Please review. I thrive off feedback.)**


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N:**

I would like to thank everyone who read and reviewed this story. You inspire me. ^_^ Now I can say my challenge fic is complete. But if this ending doesn't satisfy, then hop on over to the fic I will be posting here shortly. It is an alternate ending for the hopeless romantic. House of Cards will be structures slightly differently and may not be updated daily (but I sure will try) and I even have a beta for it. So keep an eye out! Also, I'm about halfway done with what will likely be a 4-part story called K is for Kittens (title tentative), in which Light is a demon L is well, L. Keep reading folks! Like it, love it, hate it, have a wild theory or comment? Please review. Wanna chat? My PM box is always open.

**Fool's Gambit**

**By Catsitta**

Epilogue?

In some faiths, it is believed that man once possessed two heads, four arms and four legs, and that we were split asunder into man and woman. That we are the descendants of these ripped pairs, forever destined to seek that which is our other half. The mate of our soul. For the longest time, I never thought of souls and their courtship, never felt that ethereal longing...that despairing yearning. Then you came into my life.

You, who were my opposite in your intensity. A shining sun of heat and fire, while I'd known only the dim radiance of my computer screens. You were day and I was night; I darkness and you the embodiment of light. But we both carried our burdens, hid our shadows best we could. You stood in the sunshine, hiding in plain sight, while I lurked in bare rooms, concealed by a single letter name.

We were star crossed, as Shakespeare would say. Born of two different houses whose hands would ever be unclean. You, the troubled daughter posing as the prodigal son. I, the apathetic assassin who saw you standing beneath the cherry blossom trees. We were bound by a notebook dropped by the gods of death themselves. Our meeting cursed.

But that did not stop me from loving you as I shouldn't. I knew that death lurked should I chain myself to you, because you were Kira, my enemy...but you were also Light, my light. My other half, my equal, my love. Some might call it obsession. Because my dear, I was obsessed with you. It was agony wanting you. But I prefer to think of it as that sweet poison of two souls at able to embrace. Apart we were broken, unstable pieces of a greater whole. We could have been unstoppable had we joined our hands in unison, taken this world by storm.

We could have had justice.

Instead, we have this.

It has been six months since your death. Wherever you are...or are not, may your fears be at last alleviated and your torment put to rest. I don't believe in an afterlife, or a god. Heaven and Hell are mere concepts. But should there be something to the jumbled mutters of the worshipful, I hope your damaged soul is whole again. Because, Light, you have taken mine with you. I can feel it. It was torn from my chest as those bullets ripped through yours.

As your life faded, as did mine.

Yet I still walk. Hollow. Empty. My very existence now monochrome.

Some would be wallowing in grief in my situation. Drowning themselves at the bottom of a bottle or losing their minds to some cheap high. Instead I keep moving my feet, pretending that I am whole.

I am not alive without you Light.

These hours of mine feel borrowed. Stolen. These years I see ahead of me wrest from those who died in my name. I stole them from my parents and my rivals...from Watari and Misa and...of course, from you. You could have led this revolution. Been the guiding angel in this new era of darkness. The Oligarchy is gone, but in their place stands a ruined country without a leader. They are lost.

In a decade, perhaps, old wounds will heal and they will have rebuilt themselves. The countries of old will return, their people proud and their governments reborn. In a century perhaps, the name Kira will be part of the mythos and the Oligarchy a bad taste in everyone's mouth. Perhaps in a millennium, all of this will be forgotten, the real victims of this fight forgotten and just ink written on mouldering pages by a 21st century scribe.

Until then, the people remember. The land remembers. I remember.

Each haunted by their ghosts.

By the loves they lost. By the battles they fought.

I think...tomorrow, I will place some cherry blossoms on your grave. It's so plain. Just a stone with a single name and date of death. Insulting to your memory. But anything more elaborate would attract unwanted attention. Maybe, if I'm alive in a decade, I'll rectify it. Would a grand marble statue of your resemblance with the wings of an archangel be satisfactory?

Light. Will I ever be able to say that word aloud again?

It wouldn't do for the great assassin L to break into tears at the mention of a lamp, now would it?

I think I should like to retire, my love. Being a detective was what I was trained to do, but...it is numbing work now. Empty. I've been to all the countries in the world, but I have seen so little except for death. After my life of service, I think I deserve that much. You would like that, wouldn't you? Traveling to see the world? I think you would have liked England.

Speaking of England, I took your mother and sister there. I found them a few months ago. You should know that Matsuda defied any expectations I ever had for the man. He dearly loves your sister, protected her after you passed on. Last week I received a call, asking for permission for them to marry when Sayu turns eighteen. Strange times these are. I wonder, did you ever tell your sister that you were a girl? She was quite distressed to learn that her big brother was dead, and Mrs. Yagami never corrected her. So many things left unfinished. You were not supposed to die young.

My, how I am rambling. There is work to be done and sitting here, scribbling with this old pen isn't getting anything done. You would laugh at my handwriting. I do so prefer my laptop for a reason. Come to think of it, it will be quite hard finding cherry blossoms this time of year, but I think I can manage a small miracle for your sake. For you I am a sentimental fool.

Your fool.

Because only fools gamble in hopeful halves and with dice made of wishful thinking. Yet here I am, still playing the game despite the dice turning to dust in my hands.

Until tomorrow, I bid you goodnight my love.

_This is L Lawliet. _

_ End Log._

**_.x._**

**A/N: ( The end. Hope you enjoyed the ride!)**


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